A civil rights organization has filed a complaint against the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, alleging that 42 scholarships are in violation of the Civil Rights Act. The scholarships are said to discriminate against applicants based on race or sex.
The Legal Insurrection Foundation's Equal Protection Project filed the complaint, arguing that the scholarships violate Title IX or Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The complaint alleges that the scholarships use terms like "minority," which the university defines as a racial or color designation.
Cornell Law School professor and founder of the Legal Insurrection Foundation William Jacobson told Fox News Digital that the scholarships appear to reflect "a systemic problem" with the university "ignoring the discrimination." He pointed to the large number of scholarships that allegedly discriminate in different directions, against men, women, Blacks, and Whites.
Discrimination Alleged at University of Illinois Over Scholarships for Minority Groups
Jacobson said that the preferential scholarships send a message to students not to bother applying. Under federal law, he explained, discrimination is the harm, regardless of whether someone actually attempts to apply and is turned away.
The complaint seeks to stop discrimination and have the Department of Education provide options to students who were barred from applying to preferential scholarships. Jacobson suggested that the school could increase the number of awards available for scholarships that were discriminatory in the past.
In most cases, when schools are faced with "a clear complaint showing their legal violation," they do change their eligibility requirements, according to Jacobson. He said that the first hope is that the University of Illinois will recognize the problem and open up all scholarships to all applicants.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has not yet responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
The controversy over the scholarships highlights the ongoing debate over affirmative action in higher education. Some argue that affirmative action is necessary to address historical discrimination and increase diversity on college campuses. Others argue that it is unfair to discriminate against applicants based on their race or sex.
The complaint against the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is likely to draw attention to this issue and could have implications for other universities that offer preferential scholarships.
It is important to note that the allegations in the complaint have not been proven and that the university has not yet had an opportunity to respond. However, the complaint raises serious questions about the university's compliance with civil rights law.
