By Craig Nigrelli (Reporter ), Brock Koller (Senior Producer), Jack Henry (Video Editor )
The American Alliance for Equal Rights is suing restaurant chain McDonald’s for alleged discrimination. The organization, led by Edward Blum, who successfully argued against affirmative action in colleges before the U.S. Supreme Court, is now targeting the golden arches and its scholarship program for Latino and Hispanic students.
The lawsuit alleges that McDonald’s Hacer National Scholarship discriminates against non-Hispanics and racial minorities, such as Black people, Arab people and Native Americans. It claims those groups are barred from receiving the scholarship based on their ethnic heritage and that discrimination is unlawful.
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The lawsuit was filed in Nashville, Tennessee, where the program is administered by a company named International Scholarship and Tuition Service.
Hacer is one of the biggest corporate awards for high school seniors in the country. Those scholarships range from $5,000 to $100,000. The scholarships are limited to students with at least one parent who is of Latino or Hispanic heritage.
Since the mid-1980s, McDonald’s says it has awarded more than $33 million to more than 17,000 Hispanic and Latino students. The company selects recipients based on their academic achievement, community involvement, personal statement and financial need.
The American Alliance for Equal Rights is seeking an injunction because the deadline to apply is less than one month away on Feb. 6. The suit notes that an unnamed high school student from Arkansas, who is not Latino or Hispanic, wants to apply for a scholarship.
Blum wants McDonald’s to put the program on hold “so it can be opened to all under-resourced high-school students, regardless of their ethnic heritage.”
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McDonald’s says it is now reviewing the lawsuit. It comes at a time when big companies, including McDonald’s, have begun to roll back their diversity initiatives.
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[Craig]
THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS IS SUING RESTAURANT CHAIN MCDONALDS FOR ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION. THE ORGANIZATION, LED BY EDWARD BLUM, WHO SUCCESSFULLY ARGUED AGAINST AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN COLLEGES IN FRONT OF THE US SUPREME COURT, IS NOW TARGETING THE GOLDEN ARCHES AND ITS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR LATINO OR HISPANIC STUDENTS.
THE LAWSUIT CONTENDS THAT MCDONALD’S, HACER NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP DISCRIMINATES AGAINST NON-HISPANICS AND RACIAL MINORITIES SUCH AS BLACKS, ARABS AND NATIVE AMERICANS. IT SAYS THOSE GROUPS ARE BARRED FROM RECEIVING THE SCHOLARSHIP BASED ON THEIR ETHNIC HERITAGE AND “ THIS KIND OF DISCRIMINATION WAS NEVER LAWFUL.”
THE LAWSUIT WAS FILED IN NASHVILLE WHERE THE PROGRAM IS ADMINISTERED BY A COMPANY NAMED INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP AND TUITION SERVICES.
HACER IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CORPORATE AWARDS FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS IN THE COUNTRY. THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS RANGE FROM $5000 TO $100,000 AND ARE LIMITED TO STUDENTS WITH AT LEAST ONE PARENT WHO IS OF LATINO OR HISPANIC HERITAGE.
SINCE THE MID-1980’S MCDONALD’S SAYS IT HAS AWARDED MORE THAN $33 MILLION TO MORE THAN 17,000 HISPANIC AND LATINO STUDENTS.
Recipients are selected based on their academic achievement, community involvement, personal statement and financial need.
THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS IS SEEKING AN INJUNCTION BECAUSE THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY, FEBRUARY 6TH.
THE SUIT NOTES THAT AN UNNAMED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN ARKANSAS, WHO IS NOT LATINO OR HISPANIC, WANTS TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP. BUT THE SUIT SAYS QUOTE “MCDONALD’S HAS DECIDED TO CONTINUE A PROGRAM THAT BLATANTLY DISCRIMINATES AGAINST HIGH-SCHOOLERS BASED ON THEIR ETHNICITY.”
BLUM WANTS MCDONALD’S TO PUT THE PROGRAM ON-HOLD, “SO IT CAN BE OPENED TO ALL UNDER-RESOURCED HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR ETHNIC HERITAGE. “
MCDONALD’S SAYS IT IS NOW REVIEWING THE LAWSUIT.
THE LEGAL ACTION COMES AS BIG NAME COMPANIES INCLUDING MCDONALDS, FACEBOOK OWNER META AND WALMART, AMONG OTHERS, ROLL BACK SO-CALLED D-E-I OR DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS. I’M CN, FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP
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