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The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced in a March 14 press release that it will be investigating over 50 colleges and universities across the country, including Ithaca College, for alleged racial discrimination.
IC is among six schools being investigated for alleged impermissible race-based scholarships. The DOE is also investigating one school for alleged race-based segregation and 45 schools, including Cornell University, for allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs.
The investigation is following the Jan. 20 executive order that threatens funding cuts for any programming related to diversity, equity and inclusion and the DOE’s Feb. 14 Dear Colleague letter that threatens to revoke federal funding for all schools that do not remove DEI initiatives.
IC is specifically under investigation for a complaint filed by the Equal Protection Project on June 24, 2024, alleging that the Rashad G. Richardson “I Can Achieve” Memorial Scholarship and the African-Latino Society Memorial Scholarship were restricting students based on their race.
Both the Rashad G. Richardson “I Can Achieve” Memorial Scholarship and the African Latino Society Memorial Scholarship are awarded to students who exemplify leadership in programs with the BIPOC Unity Center or other programs across the college.
The Rashad G. Richardson “I Can Achieve” Memorial Scholarship is awarded to students who have made significant contributions toward improving the quality of life for BIPOC youth in the Tompkins County community, their local community or through a national organization that supports BIPOC youth.
The African Latino Society Memorial Scholarship is awarded to students who have worked to influence and promote the academic, political, social, economic and cultural welfare of students of color at the college and in the broader Ithaca community.
The EPP — founded by William Jacobson, clinical professor and director of the Securities Law Clinic at Cornell, through the Legal Insurrection Foundation — also filed a complaint with the DOE’s Office for Civil Rights against the Ithaca City School District for allegedly intentionally excluding white students from a DEI event.
The EPP claims that the college’s scholarships violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin in programs that receive federal financial assistance, because only undergraduate students of color are allowed to participate in the scholarship programs.
In a March 14 email sent out to the campus community, Stanley Bazile, vice president of Student Affairs and Campus Life, wrote that neither of the scholarships use a student’s race or skin color to determine eligibility for receiving the scholarship.
“We are confident that our programs and resources are in compliance with applicable Civil Rights Laws,” Bazile said via email. “I also want to affirm our Division’s unwavering support for our students and staff, particularly those most closely impacted by this announcement.”
Your donation will support The Ithacan’s student journalists in their effort to keep the Ithaca College and wider Ithaca community informed. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
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