Case Particulars

Tribunal

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

Date Filed

June 11, 2024

Docket No.

N/A

Case Status

OCR Complaint Filed

Case Overview

On June 11, 2024, the Equal Protection Project (EPP) filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights against Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM), alleging that five of the university’s scholarships are discriminatory, in that they restrict eligibility to students based on race, color and national origin. In addition, EPP alleges in its Compliant that the number and scope of these discriminatory programs reflects a systemic discrimination problem at MSUM, and urges OCR to prioritize its review and promptly open an investigation and take action.

EPP believes that these scholarships violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VI”) and its implementing regulations, and, because MSUM is a public institution, these discriminatory scholarships also violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

EPP is the Complainant in this matter, which is being evaluated by OCR.

UPDATE: A recent review of MSUM’s website reveals that two of the five offending programs (“Access, Opportunity, & Success Scholars Diversity Scholarship” and the “ODI Diversity Scholarship”) have been completely deleted from the University website; the remaining three are still in effect.