Claremont colleges face civil rights complaint over race-based scholarships

Claremont Colleges are facing a civil rights complaint over their affiliation with a training program that limits eligibility to non-White applicants.

The Equal Protection Project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation filed a civil rights complaint against the Claremont Colleges for offering and administering scholarships “based on race, color, national origin, or sex, in violation of Title VI and Title IX.”

Because Claremont Colleges receive federal assistance, the group argues they are in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

“The Claremont Colleges are among the most elite and highly-ranked liberal arts colleges in the nation. That race- and sex-based discriminatory scholarships exist at such highly-ranked institutions is shocking and reflects how Critical Race Theory and its offshoots like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, are deeply embedded in the campus culture. It is time for higher education everywhere to focus on the inherent worth and dignity of every student rather than categorizing students based on identity groups,” said William A. Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project.

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He went on to say, “Creating educational opportunities based on race, color, national origin, or sex violates Titles VI and IX of the Civil Rights Act, as well as state law. Such scholarships also violate the non-discrimination policies of the institutional members of the Claremont Colleges. We are asking the Claremont Colleges and its institutional members to live up to the law and their own rules, and remove the discriminatory eligibility barriers.”

The Claremont College consortium is based in Claremont, California, and includes Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Scripps College, and Pitzer College.

Claremont Graduate University offers fellowships, scholarships, and programs serving minority students, including the Black Scholars Award and the Pat Soldano Fellowship for Women Leaders. Pitzer College provides a scholarship restricted to “minority students” and “female students with demonstrated financial need.”

Pitzer College offers a scholarship that solely awards “minority students” and “female students with demonstrated financial need.”

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The Equal Protection Project maintains that racial and ethnicity-based requirements for scholarships and programs violate federal civil rights statutes. The group, a civil rights watchdog, says it has filed over 100 legal challenges against colleges and universities targeting more than 500 “discriminatory programs and scholarships.”

Jacobson added, “Race and sex discrimination is wrong and unlawful no matter which race or sex is targeted or benefits. In no case are we aware of a school claiming it was free to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex, so why does it keep happening? Unfortunately, there is a culture on many campuses that excuses some forms of discrimination, and that needs to stop.”

The civil rights complaint comes amid a broader debate over higher education admissions and diversity programs. It follows President Donald Trump’s criticism of Harvard University over alleged discriminatory admissions policies and rising antisemitism on campus. 

The Trump administration reportedly summoned the Department of Justice to investigate whether Harvard’s admissions policies comply with a Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action admission policies.

Claremont Colleges officials did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.