Case Particulars

Tribunal

Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights

Date Filed

January 18, 2026

Docket No.

N/A

Case Status

OCR Complaint Filed

Case Overview

On January 18, 2026, 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 University of California’s Office of the President, and California Community College Chancellor’s Office.

The allegations in the Complaint concern’s California’s “Puente Project,” which operates at sixty five (65) California community colleges, according to its website. The Puente Project operates as a year-long transitional program aimed at fostering academic success and increasing the number of “disadvantaged” and “underrepresented” students who transfer from a community college to a four-year institution.

But as discussed in EPP’s Complaint, the Puente Project’s actual purpose is to benefit Hispanic/Latinx students to the exclusion of non-Hispanic/Latinx students.

First, the “Puente” Project (Spanish for “bridge”), was founded in 1981 as a grassroots initiative specifically to address the low rate of academic achievement among Mexican American and Latino students. This remains the Program’s goal to this day.

Second, the University of California’s Office of the President and California Community College Chancellor’s , who administrator the Puente Project, and “signal” racial preferences for Hispanic/Latinx students, as well as the college administrators on individual community college campuses, know exactly who the intended beneficiaries are. Cerritos College’s description of the Puente Project is reflective of the overall system: the goal of the Puente Project is to increase retention of “Latinx” students, increase degree completion for “Latinx” students, and increase transfer rates for “Latinx” students.

Third, the classes and programming offered by the Puente Project are tailored to Hispanic/Latinx students. Detailing the ideal Puente Project student, Mt. San Jacinto College states that Puente Project students should be “interested in learning and discussing issues that deal with multiculturalism specifically the Mexican-American, Latino/a, Chicano/a experience,” and “are looking for a classroom environment which challenges and motivates them to think critically, write, and enjoy reading literature written by Mexican-American, Latino/a, Chicana/a writers.

Fourth, the demographics of admission to the Program reflect its unlawful discriminatory purpose. For example, as openly admitted by Golden West College, “most PUENTE students [are] Hispanic/Latinx.” From 2019 to 2020, this number at Golden West was 100%.

By discriminating against non-Hispanic/Latinx students, both overtly and through strong racial signaling, the Puente Project violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. As such, EPP’s Complaint requests that OCR promptly open a formal investigation, impose all appropriate remedial measures authorized by law to address the Puente Project, and ensure that all current and future initiatives and programs the UC Office of the President and California Community College Chancellor’s Office administer are fully compliant with Title VI, the Equal Protection Clause, and other applicable federal civil rights guarantees.

OCR is evaluating EPP’s Complaint for further action.