Investigation Launched into Duke University
On Monday, the Trump administration announced the initiation of an investigation into Duke University. This inquiry is based on accusations that the university’s law school publications might be discriminating in editor selections “based on race, color and/or national origin.”
The Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office (OCR) is handling the investigation. A report from last month highlighted a packet prepared for members of the university’s Law School Affinity Group, allegedly detailing the selection criteria for applicants to the Duke Law Journal.
This packet outlines a rubric for a 500-word personal statement, indicating that applicants could earn up to ten points for discussing “undervalued group membership” to encourage diverse voices.
Moreover, if an applicant holds a leadership role within the affinity group or has developed a program to support individuals from diverse backgrounds, they could receive up to five additional points.
Some sample statements provided in this packet addressed the competition among applicants, with one essay beginning, “As an Asian American woman and immigrant daughter, I possess various perspectives, experiences, and privileges.”
It was noted that the Law Journal explicitly instructed the affinity group to keep this packet confidential from other students.
Duke University has yet to respond to inquiries for comment on the situation.
In April, the Trump administration initiated a similar probe into Harvard’s Law Journal for alleged discriminatory practices, claiming it relied on “racial-based standards” rather than merit-based criteria in its selection processes.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon expressed her commitment to ensure that Duke upholds excellence, integrity, and legality in training future leaders. She emphasized that “if Duke unlawfully prioritizes law journal or medical school applicants based on immutable characteristics, it undermines civil rights legislation and academic standards.”
McMahon also indicated that such discriminatory practices had become increasingly common in educational institutions during recent times, stating, “The Trump administration won’t permit these actions to continue.”
McMahon, along with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., sent a letter to Duke’s administration addressing concerns regarding “racial preferences” in employment, admissions, and scholarship decisions.
This correspondence urged university leaders to provide guarantees that all policies at Duke Health would be re-evaluated for any illegal use of racial preferences and to reform practices that improperly consider race or ethnicity for benefits. Additionally, it suggested the establishment of a “Merit and Civil Rights Commission” to facilitate swift resolutions to allegations of civil rights violations.
In a statement, Kennedy noted, “We must ensure that federal funding supports excellence rather than race in medical education and research.”
He added that both he and McMahon are calling for Duke to take serious allegations of racism seriously and work with the Civil Rights Commission to uphold standards based on merit.
The specifics regarding Duke Health’s research practices and how they relate to these allegations remain unclear amid ongoing discussions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at the university.
