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A legal nonprofit organization said Wednesday it has filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights in Kansas City against K-State. The complaint alleges that K-State’s annual scholarship for diversity actually violates federal law with racial discrimination.
The organization is the Legal Insurrection Foundation’s Equal Protection Project, a conservative organization that describes itself as being against “any form” of racism.
It claims the Joey Lee Garmon Undergraduate Multicultural Student Scholarship violates the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for its “racially segregated” program.
The scholarship is named after an African American student. According to K-State, the award provides money to applicants of ethnic groups that have been “historically and traditionally oppressed in the achievement of academic and leadership endeavors.” These groups include people who are African American, American Indian, Asian American and Latin American.
K-State’s Office of Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs gives five annual scholarships of $700 each: three multicultural student awards and two social justice awards.
A month ago, the Supreme Court ruled that that race-conscious admission policies at Harvard College and the University of North Carolina violate the Constitution, effectively banning the use of affirmative action. The Equal Protection Project was involved in that case.
Although the non-profit announced it filed a complaint on Wednesday against K-State, the university told The Mercury it is not aware of any legal action.
“Kansas State University has not received a complaint from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights related to the Joey Lee Garmon Undergraduate Multicultural Student Scholarship,” said Michelle Geering, K-State’s information officer. “If we do, the university will respond appropriately.”
A copy of the complaint sent to The Mercury asserts that the Office of Civil Rights has jurisdiction in the matter and asks the office to investigate the scholarship, which it calls “blatantly discriminatory.”
“This includes, if necessary, imposing fines, initiating administrative proceedings to suspend, terminate, or refuse to grant or continue federal financial assistance, and referring the case to the Department of Justice for judicial proceedings to enforce the rights of the United States,” the letter says.
