Legal watchdog says Seattle U. violated federal law with discriminatory scholarships
Seattle University has quietly altered the language of a graduate fellowship following a civil rights complaint alleging that multiple scholarships at the school violate federal non-discrimination law.
The Equal Protection Project filed the complaint on June 4 with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
Seattle University has quietly altered the language of a graduate fellowship following a civil rights complaint alleging that multiple scholarships at the school violate federal non-discrimination law.
The Equal Protection Project (EPP), a legal watchdog affiliated with the Legal Insurrection Foundation, filed the complaint on June 4 with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The complaint argues that Seattle University awards scholarships based on race and sex—practices the group says breach Title VI and Title IX.
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According to the EPP, the school’s original description for the Sinegal Fellowship stated that it supported “underrepresented minority Costco Scholars.”
However, following the complaint, Seattle University updated the web page, removing any mention of race. It now states the fellowship “provides support for Costco Scholars who have graduated from either the University of Washington or Seattle University and who are pursuing an advanced degree at Seattle University.”
An archived snapshot of the page from May 28 confirms the original race-based description cited in the EPP filing.
The complaint also targets two additional scholarships. The Justice Mary I. Yu Endowed Scholarship at the School of Law promises aid “especially [to] women of color,” while the Women of Seattle University Endowed Scholarship prioritizes “underrepresented student populations, especially women.”
William A. Jacobson, a Cornell Law professor and founder of the Equal Protection Project, called on the Department of Education to enforce civil rights protections equally.
“Race and sex discrimination is wrong and unlawful no matter which race or sex is targeted or benefits,” Jacobson told Campus Reform. “All students are entitled to equal treatment without regard to race, color, national origin, or sex.”
“The Equal Protection Project calls on the Department of Education to require the senior administration of SU to uphold nondiscrimination standards throughout the institution,” he added.
The complaint against Seattle University is the latest in a series of legal actions by the EPP. Previous filings have named DePaul University, Indiana University South Bend, and the University of Connecticut over similarly race-exclusive and sex-exclusive scholarships.
Campus Reform contacted Seattle University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
