University of Michigan sued over discrimination against White males

In June 2023, the University of Michigan was named in a lawsuit that accused it of discriminating against straight White male applicants to its law journal, The Michigan Law Review. Filed by a nonprofit organization opposing affirmative action, the lawsuit claimed that the journal implements unlawful race and sex preferences in its selection process. These claims center on the assertion that a 'Holistic Review Committee' favors women, racial minorities, and LGBTQ+ applicants over better-performing heterosexual White male applicants. The university has publicly denied these allegations, standing by its adherence to the law regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. The Michigan Law Review allegedly transitioned from a traditional selection process, based solely on academic performance and writing competition results, to one that incorporates various personal characteristics. This change was reportedly driven by a push from 'far-left students' who found the prior demographic results unsatisfactory. As a result, around 60% of new members are selected through this 'holistic review' process, which also questions applicants about their race, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in personal statements, raising legal concerns about discrimination. In conjunction with this lawsuit, the Trump administration has been scrutinizing DEI efforts at public universities, including the University of Michigan. In March 2023, the university closed its DEI offices as a response to the administration’s tightening of regulations around diversity initiatives. The shift came amid broader opposition to affirmative action policies in higher education and employment, with the Department of Education emphasizing the removal of DEI policies to avoid funding cuts. This landscape reflects a growing contention over how universities balance diversity efforts with legal compliance and equal opportunity principles. Moreover, the controversy isn’t limited to Michigan. IBM is currently facing multiple lawsuits filed by America First Legal, alleging discrimination against older White male employees due to similar DEI initiatives. These lawsuits claim that the company operates under racial and gender hiring quotas, adversely affecting qualified employees. The pushback against such policies underscores a national debate about the fairness and legality of DEI practices, with advocates arguing for merit-based evaluations while opponents decry discrimination based on race or gender, regardless of their intentions to promote diversity.