The Equal Protection Project (EPP) filed a civil rights complaint on Friday against the University of Richmond in alleging that three scholarships administered by the school violate federal anti-discrimination law.
The complaint, submitted to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, argues that two scholarships violate Title VI, which prohibits race-based discrimination, and that one scholarship violates Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination.
One of the scholarships, the VSCPA Scholarship, has since been removed from the university’s website. According to screenshots included in the complaint, the award previously provided funding to a “minority student.”
The Business Partnership Scholarship, however, still appears online with criteria stating recipients should be a “minority from [the] Richmond area” or that preference will be given to a “minority Virginian.”
The complaint also identifies the Law Women’s Centennial Scholarship as discriminatory under Title IX. Although the school’s site does not explicitly state male applicants are barred, EPP argues the scholarship’s branding as a “Women’s” award and its promotional language dissuade men from applying.
“That race- and sex-based discriminatory scholarships exist at a highly ranked university is shocking and reflects how Critical Race Theory and its offshoots like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, are deeply embedded in the campus culture,” EPP founder William A. Jacobson told Campus Reform. “It is time for higher education everywhere to focus on the inherent worth and dignity of every student rather than categorizing students based on identity groups.”
[RELATED: ‘Disheartening’: Civil rights group says Western Michigan scholarships break federal law]
Jacobson emphasized that EPP is not seeking to reduce financial aid options for students but to ensure that all applicants have equal access.
“We do not want these scholarships shut down,” he said. “We want students to have access to the funding, but every student should have fair and equal opportunity for scholarships without regard to race, color, national origin, or sex.”
EPP has filed similar complaints at other institutions, most recently targeting race and sex-based scholarships at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.
Campus Reform reached out to the University of Richmond for comment, this article will be updated accordingly.
Brendan McDonald is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Theological Studies. He graduated from Thomas More College and is interested in writing and communication.