Feds Launch Investigation Into Duke University Over Alleges Racial Discrimination

This development comes as U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sent a joint letter to Duke University leadership. Their letter outlines shared concerns regarding the alleged use of race preferences across various Duke operations, including hiring, admissions, and scholarship decisions.

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Furthermore, the letter calls for Duke to establish a “Merit and Civil Rights Committee.” This committee, with delegated authority from Duke’s Board of Trustees, would facilitate a swift resolution of the alleged civil rights violations in cooperation with the federal government.

“I am proud to partner with Secretary Kennedy to ensure that Duke commits to excellence, integrity, and lawfulness in their training of our nation’s future leaders,” stated U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “If Duke illegally gives preferential treatment to law journal or medical school applicants based on those students’ immutable characteristics, that is an affront not only to civil rights law, but to the meritocratic character of academic excellence. Blatantly discriminatory practices that are illegal under the Constitution, antidiscrimination law, and Supreme Court precedent have become all too common in our educational institutions. The Trump Administration will not allow them to continue.”

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The investigation into the Duke Law Journal stems from recent reporting detailing its selection process for editors. Each May, the journal hosts a competition involving a 12-page memo analyzing an appellate court decision and a 500-word personal statement. These materials, along with applicants’ first-year GPA, are typically assessed through a points-based grading system.

However, according to recent reports, the Law Journal allegedly circulated an additional grading rubric in 2024. This rubric reportedly allowed select applicants to receive extra points based on their personal statements referencing their race or ethnicity.

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This action follows a similar Title VI investigation launched on April 28 by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services into Harvard University and Harvard Law Review, also based on reports of race-based discrimination. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the bases of race, color, and national origin in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. Violations of this act can result in the loss of federal funding for institutions.

Original Article:

https://www.tampafp.com/feds-launch-investigation-into-duke-university-over-alleges-racial-discrimination/