The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has determined that George Mason University (GMU) is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, following an investigation that emerged from allegations of preferential treatment in the university's hiring and promotion processes. This announcement, made today, outlines a series of discriminatory practices that the OCR asserts GMU engaged in, which favor some candidates over others based on race and other immutable characteristics.
As per a report from the U.S. Department of Education, the findings were addressed directly to GMU President Gregory Washington, who has been given a 10-day ultimatum to comply with the OCR's resolution proposal to correct the Title VI infractions. This development follows a complaint filed by several GMU professors accusing the university of adopting, under President Washington's leadership since 2020, policies that unlawfully give preference to persons from "underrepresented groups" in an effort to promote "anti-racism."
The OCR's proposed Resolution Agreement stipulates several remedial actions for GMU, which include a public apology from President Washington, a comprehensive review and amendment of university policies to remove any preference based on race, immersing staff involved in hiring processes into annual training to ensure discrimination-free practices, and a commitment to maintain all records that prove adherence to the agreement.
"You can't make this up," said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor regarding the matter, "Despite this unfortunate chapter in Mason’s history, the University now has the opportunity to come into compliance with federal civil rights laws by entering into a Resolution Agreement with the Office for Civil Rights." One university administrator allegedly told OCR investigators about a climate of scrutiny relating to the University's DEI-driven hiring decisions, something that the department has found as a clear violation of federal laws which prohibit discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded educational programs and activities, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education. If GMU fails to comply with these demands, the consequences could be severe, including potential loss of federal funding.
