Press Article: Civil Rights Complaint Filed Against University of Alabama Over Scholarship Discrimination
A civil rights complaint has been lodged against the University of Alabama (UA) by the Equal Protection Project, a national organization opposing race-based affirmative action. The complaint centers around the Norton-Textra Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students in English, which the organization argues discriminates against applicants based on race.
Filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on April 25, the complaint claims that requiring applicants to be African-American students pursuing English degrees violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. This law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program receiving federal funding. The Equal Protection Project contends that, regardless of the university’s intentions behind such a scholarship, it remains discriminatory.
Evidence cited includes that scholarship applications stated race as a criterion as of April 22, although UA’s website later removed explicit race references and now only mentions enrollment and GPA requirements. The complaint emphasizes a recent Supreme Court decision that restricts universities from considering race in admissions decisions.
Additionally, the Trump administration had previously guided educational institutions to refrain from using race as a basis for various decisions, stressing that benefits and burdens must not be distributed based on race.
The Equal Protection Project is urging the Office of Civil Rights to investigate UA’s practices across its programs. Meanwhile, the University of Alabama has yet to comment on the allegations. The situation adds to the growing scrutiny faced by schools in Alabama regarding their diversity practices, particularly after state laws targeting “divisive concepts” influenced the closure of diversity, equity, and inclusion offices across Alabama institutions.
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