George Mason University Violates Title VI Due to DEI Policy

On Friday, the Education Bureau revealed that George Mason University has breached Title VI due to what they termed “illegal DEI policy.”

The department indicated that the university incorporated racial and other immutable characteristics into its recruitment and promotion processes.

Interestingly, back in 2020, Gregory Washington, the president of the university, advocated for the elimination of what he called “racist traces” from GMU’s campus. It seems rather ironic, considering he initiated a university-wide effort to adopt DEI policies that might inadvertently discriminate based on race.

Now, despite these unfortunate missteps in its history, the university has a chance to rectify the situation. They can enter into a resolution agreement with the Civil Rights Office, which has been clear about their expectations for the last seven months.

The department has laid out six conditions that GMU must consider within the next 10 days to resolve the violation.

The federal agency anticipates that the president of George Mason will communicate with the campus community, ensuring compliance with Title VI regarding employment and promotions. They also expect a personal apology for the violations, which should be visibly featured on the university’s website.

Furthermore, GMU is expected to revise its policies and documentation related to employment, alongside implementing annual training that clarifies the university does not give preference based on race. Additionally, the university must make records available to the government upon request to demonstrate compliance with the agreement.

If the university fails to agree to the resolution, there’s a possibility that the Trump administration could initiate the withdrawal of federal funding from GMU.

Efforts to get a statement from George Mason were made.