Colorado State accused of violating civil rights law by rebranding DEI programs
America First Legal (AFL) has filed a civil rights complaint against Colorado State University (CSU), alleging that CSU is violating federal law by continuing to operate DEI programs.
AFL filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, according to a press release from June 24.
America First Legal (AFL) has filed a civil rights complaint against Colorado State University (CSU), alleging that CSU is violating federal law by continuing to operate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
AFL filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, according to a press release from June 24.
DEI initiatives at CSU, AFL says, go against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Executive Order 14173, an anti-DEI measure signed by President Trump in January.
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In its complaint, AFL alleged that CSU simply renamed its DEI programs to make them harder to detect.
“Colorado State University ought to stop discriminating based on race, sex, national origin, and other immutable characteristics and comply with federal law and President Trump’s Executive Order,” said Nick Barry, senior counsel at AFL.
“Trying to ‘hide’ the discrimination isn’t the solution. Stopping is the solution,” Barry added. “Otherwise, CSU is risking the loss of a third of its budget, which comes from federal funds.”
According to AFL, CSU still encourages faculty hiring based on DEI goals and offers scholarships based on race and identity. Its general education program also requires students to take courses focused on race, inequality, and social justice.
CSU also operates a “Bias Reporting System,” which AFL says pressures students to avoid expressing views that could be labeled as “bias,” violating free speech protections.
Following the complaint, CSU said it is taking the situation acutely and pledged to respond.
“As with any complaint filed with a governmental agency, the university takes the matter seriously,” CSU spokesperson Tiana Kennedy told the Coloradoan. “We are reviewing the issues raised in the complaint and will respond appropriately.”
Campus Reform has reported about the Department of Education’s notice that it sent in February, warning schools that they may lose federal funding if they continue to fund DEI initiatives.
“Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon ‘systemic and structural racism’ and advanced discriminatory policies and practices,” the letter stated.
The department added that proponents of “discriminatory practices” have used DEI to justify them, “smuggling racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming, and discipline.”
Following the federal crackdown, there has been a scale-back of DEI initiatives throughout the country, with schools such as Vanderbilt University, Northwestern University, Stanford University, and the University of Michigan removing DEI references and stripping away DEI policies.
Campus Reform has contacted Colorado State University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
