Case Particulars

Tribunal

Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education

Date Filed

August 19, 2023

Docket No.

OCR Case Number 02-23-2275

Case Status

OCR Complaint Filed

Case Overview

New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine has participated in a New York State funding program — entitled the Science and Technology Entry Program — designed for 7-12th grade students and which contains discriminatory guidelines limiting participation to those who are Black, Latino, Alaskan native or American Indian. As for all other applicants, only those coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds may be considered eligible for the program. The applicable state law for the program does not require that any school accept the funding; the school’s participation in the program was entirely voluntary.

Students in the STEP progam participate in a virtual curriculum consisting of “enrichment classes, financial aid workshops, health professions training, social justice education, and mentorship” spanning both fall and spring semesters, in addition to a six-week summer program.

The program limits the applicant pool to those who “[s]elf-identify as Alaska Native, American Indian, Black or African American, or Latino/Hispanic,” while White and Asian students must show that they are “economically disadvantaged” in order to be considered.

Equal Protection Project is the Complainant in this matter, which is under evaluation by the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.

UPDATE: On January 31, 2024, EPP received a letter from OCR indicating that OCR was dismissing this case based on a lawsuit brought against the State of New York for allegedly funding racially discriminatory programs through the NY STEP Act. That case, Chu v. Rosa, is supported by EPP, who is co-representing the Plaintiffs, and is listed separately in this database.