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KU Under Investigation for Alleged Civil Rights Act Violations

The U.S. Department of Education has opened an investigation into the University of Kansas for alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Photo credit: Will Crow.

Posted March 17, 2025

The U.S. Department of Education has opened investigations into 45 universities, including the University of Kansas, for alleged violations of the Title VI Civil Rights Act.

The investigations come amid allegations that these institutions have violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by partnering with The Ph.D. Project, a nonprofit that helps minority students obtain their Ph.D., but limits eligibility based on race, according to a DOE release.

KU is one of the schools now under investigation.

“The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination,” U.S. Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, said in the release. “The agency has already launched Title VI investigations into institutions where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported and Title IX investigations into entities which allegedly continue to allow sex discrimination; today’s announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes. Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment.”

On February 14, the DOE’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent out its ‘Dear Colleague Letter,’ which states that universities should cease any and all activities and programs that consider race a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring, training, and other institutional programming.

The letter claims institutions have advanced discriminatory policies and practices—particularly in the past four years—under the banner of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

In a response to the Dear Colleague Letter, KU Chancellor Douglas Girod said the school’s leadership is assessing all activities addressed by the OCR and would provide updated information in the future.