Complaint Filed Against University of Illinois Scholarships for Discrimination Violations
- University of Illinois hit with 42 civil rights complaints over alleged race and sex discrimination.
- Complaints include the issue of scholarships being available only to preferred races and sexes.
- Investigation into civil rights violations at the University is ongoing.
A formal complaint has been lodged with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights by the Legal Insurrection Foundation’s Equal Protection Project, alleging that 19 scholarships at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) violate Title IX and Title VI due to gender and race-based discrimination. The complaint, which was made public on Monday, claims that these scholarships collectively discriminate against a broad range of students, with founder William A. Jacobson asserting that the university's approach to diversity has resulted in a harmful environment. Jacobson criticized the scholarships for their vague language, which often includes terms like “underrepresented,” “minority,” and “diverse,” while systematically excluding white students unless a specific national origin is mentioned. For instance, some scholarships favor students of Czech or Lithuanian descent, which the complaint argues is discriminatory. The Wanda Taeschner Babcock scholarship, aimed at promoting cultural diversity, exemplifies this issue by prioritizing “underrepresented populations” without including white students. The complaint also highlights specific scholarships that explicitly favor female students or exclude men entirely. The Doris I. and James L. Willmer Endowed Scholarship, for example, prioritizes first-generation females and minority students, while the A. E. Florio Award gives preference to women pursuing community health. Despite the serious allegations, UIUC has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the complaint.