Case Particulars

Tribunal

Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights

Date Filed

July 29, 2024

Docket No.

N/A

Case Status

OCR Complaint Filed

Case Overview

On July 29, 2024, the Equal Protection Project (EPP) filed a Civil Rights Complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) against the Mitchell Hamline School of Law (Hamline Law). The Complaint (corrected copy available here) alleges that Hamline Law, which is a recipient of federal funding, “support[s] and host[s] on its campus a racially-discriminatory mentorship program for aspiring lawyers entitled the MABL Law School Pathways program.” The Complaint alleges further that “only ‘Black Minnesota students’ are allowed to participate in this program,” “[a]pplicants who do not meet the race-based criteria are ineligible,” and [t]he meetings take place at and are promoted by Hamline Law, with Hamline Law staff involvement.” The Compliant summarizes: “Because the program discriminates based on race and skin color, it violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VI”) and its implementing regulations.”

The Complaint then explains the details of the MABL Law School Pathways program, and how Title VI might apply to this case: “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (‘Title VI’) prohibits intentional discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in any ‘program or activity’ that receives federal financial assistance. See 42 U.S.C. § 2000d. As Hamline Law receives federal funds, it is subject to Title VI….[R]egardless of Hamline Law’s reasons for participating in and hosting the MABL Program, it is violating Title VI by doing so.”

The Complaint then requests OCR take action:

The Office for Civil Rights has the power and obligation to investigate Hamline Law’s role in participating in, sponsoring, supporting and hosting the racially discriminatory MABL Program – and to discern whether Hamline Law is engaging in such discrimination in its other activities – and to impose whatever remedial relief is necessary to hold it accountable for that unlawful conduct. This includes, if necessary, imposing fines, initiating administrative proceedings to suspend or terminate federal financial assistance and referring the case to the Department of Justice for judicial proceedings to enforce the rights of the United States under federal law. After all, ‘[t]he way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.’ Parents Involved in Cmty. Sch. [v. Seattle Sch. Dist. No. 1], 551 U.S. 701, 748 (2006).

 

Accordingly, we respectfully ask the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to impose remedial relief as the law permits for the benefit of those who have been illegally excluded from the MABL Program at Hamline based on racially discriminatory criteria, and to ensure that all ongoing and future programming sponsored or hosted by that school comport with federal civil rights laws.

OCR is evaluating EPP’s Complaint against Hamline Law.