Civil rights complaint targets University of Wisconsin-Madison for race-based scholarships

In the United States, a civil rights watchdog organization, Defending Education, has submitted a complaint to the Department of Education against the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWM). The complaint addresses allegations that the university's Lawton Grant program promotes scholarships based on race, which critics argue is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The program provides financial assistance exclusively to designated minority students, raising concerns about Federal funding implications for the university if these practices are deemed discriminatory. The Lawton Grant was established in 1986 and aims to assist specific minority populations in overcoming financial barriers to education. Advocates for equity in education voiced that distributing scholarships based on racial criteria contradicts efforts to achieve genuine equality, labeling such actions as a form of racism repackaged as equity. This complaint is part of a broader scrutiny of higher education institutions by the Department of Education regarding their compliance with civil rights laws related to race-based programs. In fact, UWM is one of 45 universities currently under investigation due to similar allegations, indicating a growing national concern over race-based financial assistance in education settings.