The U.S. Education Department’s emaciated civil rights arm launched an investigation into New York University and dozens of other colleges across the country on Friday, as part of the Trump administration’s campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
The federal agency accused NYU of engaging in “race-exclusionary practices” in its graduate programs. President Trump’s son Barron is an undergraduate student at the college.
“The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination,” said U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon in a statement, pointing to ongoing probes related to pro-Palestinian campus protests and transgender students.
“Today’s announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes.”
The inquiry came a month after the Education Department warned that it could pull the federal funding of any universities that continue diversity programming. But as a Feb. 28 deadline came and went, few New York colleges made significant changes.
More recently, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued joint guidance with other state attorneys general, notifying schools that Trump’s attempts so far to ban DEI programs were on shaky legal ground. The federal government’s anti-DEI directive is currently facing court action from the nation’s two largest teachers’ unions.
The federal investigation takes aim at NYU’s partnership with an organization called The Ph.D. Project, which provides doctoral students with support obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities. The Education Department said the program “limits eligibility based on the race of participants.”
The Ph.D. Project, which has operated for three decades with little controversy, reaffirmed its mission to create a broader talent pipeline of business professionals through mentorship, events and other means. This year, the organization opened its membership application to “anyone who shares that vision.”
“The Ph.D. Project was founded with the goal of providing more role models in the front of business classrooms, which remains our goal today,” read a statement.
An NYU spokesman would not comment on the record.
The investigation’s launch comes as the Education Department moved to fire about half of its workforce, including the closure of the civil right division’s regional headquarters in New York City. A department spokeswoman has insisted civil rights personnel would continue to investigate complaints and enforce laws.
With Daily News Wire Services