Department of Education investigates GMU for civil rights violations in faculty hiring

George Mason University (GMU) is under federal investigation for allegedly discriminating on the basis of race in its hiring and promotion processes. 

University President Gregory Washington launched the “anti-racism” campaign in 2020, which led to these policies. 

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened the probe on July 10 after receiving complaints that GMU prioritized faculty hires from “underrepresented groups” to “advance ‘anti-racism,’” even if they weren’t the strongest candidates. 

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According to a press release, one complaint cited guidance from Washington that once candidates met a “bar” of requirements for a role, the school would hire new employees on their “diversity...even if that candidate may not have better credentials than the other candidate.’”

The Department of Education says GMU failed to change its hiring and promotion policies that favor minority groups.

The investigation is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to scrutinize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies nationwide. 

Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said the administration is targeting “illegal racial preferencing” that violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

[RELATED: DOJ launches civil rights probe into University of California’s race-based hiring plan]

“That the leadership of a university named in honor of the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights—which informed the Constitution’s Bill of Rights—needs a refresher on the primacy of treating individuals equally under law is deeply disheartening,” Trainor said in the press release

The university’s DEI programs include “equity advisers” in each department to guide hiring and recruitment based on “race, sex, and other characteristics” and a task force focused on “anti-racism and inclusive excellence,” according to the OCR’s press release.

The university rebranded a DEI office earlier this year, renaming it the Office of Access, Compliance and Community. 

Campus Reform reported last month how the school ended its Center for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation in response to new policies under the Trump administration.

Campus Reform has contacted GMU for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.