MADISON (WKOW) — The University of Wisconsin-Madison is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education on allegations that the university violated civil rights laws through scholarship programs.
The U.S. Department of Education is actively investigating allegations made against UW-Madison by The Equal Protection Project, according to a press release obtained by 27 News on Monday.
The allegations involve race-based scholarship programs that The Equal Protection Project claims discriminated on the basis of race, color, and national origin.
EqualProtect.org alleges that UW-Madison’s programs violated Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
According to the complaint sent to the Office for Civil Rights, The Equal Protection Project says the university awards financial scholarships and mentorship to students based on their race and skin color.
The Equal Protection Project says UW-Madison on its application for Community-Engaged Black, Indigenous and People of Color Fellows asks students if they identify as a student of color.
“The ineligibility of white students for the BIPOC Fellows program makes that program underinclusive, since the racial criterion is arbitrary and excludes swaths of students who are deeply committed to engaging with their communities but are not permitted to apply due to their skin color, race and ethnicity,” the complaint states in part.
“The opening of an investigation by OCR is an important first step in bringing accountability to the university for a program that on its face discriminates in favor of ‘BIPOC’ students, a racial and ethnic categorization,” said William Jacobson, founder of EqualProtect.org, in a statement. “The law requires equal protection for all students, regardless of race and ethnicity, and we hope that a full investigation and determination will uphold this principle.”
The U.S. Dept. of Education, Region V, alerted The Equal Protection Project of the newly opened investigation on Monday.
UW-Madison Spokesperson Greg Bump issued the following statement:
“The university received notice that the Office of Civil Rights is responding to a complaint filed in January and will cooperate with the investigation.”
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