Attorney General Rokita targets Notre Dame for alleged DEI policies
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita issued a letter on Thursday accusing the University of Notre Dame of potentially violating discrimination laws as well as jeopardizing its nonprofit status.
This is the second time the university has come under fire this year regarding its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. In March, the U.S. Department of Education included Notre Dame among 50 universities targeted for allegedly using racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs, according to WSBT. In that investigation, the university could face losing federal funding if found in violation.
At the time the university released a statement saying 'As always, The University of Notre Dame follows the law and in no way practices or condones discrimination. As a Catholic university, we are fully committed to defending the dignity of every human person and ensuring that every person can flourish.'
Rokita's letter alleges that Notre Dame's 2023 Strategic Framework and public materials suggest discriminatory practices, including differential treatment based on race or ethnicity.
In the letter, he also points to the universities' efforts to boost 'underrepresented' student and faculty members, track enrollment in courses taught by faculty who 'look like' underrepresented students, and host racially segregated 'multicultural recognition ceremonies' for graduates. He argues these practices breach Indiana's anti-discrimination laws and federal laws, specifically in light of the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard that imposed restrictions on race-based admissions.
'Notre Dame's DEI policies raise troubling questions about whether, in its pursuit of DEI goals, the university may be crossing the clear line that Indiana law draws against racial discrimination. I am seeking answers,' Rokita said in the letter.
The office requested detailed documentation and information including admissions and hiring practices, changes made to its practices following the Students for Fair Admissions decision, guidance it provides to faculty and admission staff on its DEI goals and an explanation on whether and how race plays a role in recruiting, hiring and enrollment.
Rokita asked Notre Dame to respond by June 9. If the university does not respond, the office could take legal action against the university and jeopardize its nonprofit status.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Up to a million young Catholics expected for grand Pope Leo vigil
Up to a million young Catholic believers are expected Saturday for a night-time vigil led by Pope Leo XIV, the culmination of a week-long pilgrimage, a key event in the Jubilee holy year. The "Jubilee of Youth" -- when the Vatican invites Catholics aged 18 to 35 to the seat of the global Church's power -- has seen thousands of young pilgrims from around the world flood Rome this week. It is taking place just under three months since 69-year-old Leo -- the first American pope -- took over the papacy. Large groups of pilgrims have packed the streets of Rome all week, waving the flags of their countries or cities and chanting religious songs. Excitement has mounted over the course of the week for the new pope's final appearance to the youths on Saturday. "I feel mainly curiosity, as we don't know him very well yet," Parisian student Alice Berry, 21, told AFP. "What does he have to say to us? What is his message for young people?" - Uncertainty, anxiety - Various events have been planned for them by the Church throughout the city, including at Circus Maximus, where on Friday approximately 1,000 priests were on hand to take confession. Some 200 white gazebos lined the hippodrome where chariot races were once held in Ancient Rome, where youth lined up to speak to priests in 10 different languages. Spanish was one of the main languages heard on the streets of the Italian capital. The pilgrimage is taking place as economic uncertainty hits young people across the world and as climate change anxiety rises among the under-30s. Many young pilgrims said they wanted to hear the Vatican's position on climate change, wars and economic inequalities. Samarei Semos, 29, said she had travelled three days from her native Belize to get to Rome. "We are still trying to understand his leadership," she said of the new pope, adding she hoped he would have a strong say about "third world countries". The pilgrimage also comes amid global alarm over starvation in Israel-blockaded Gaza, and more than three years into Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. - Night vigil - The Vatican has praised Catholic youths who travelled to Rome from war-scarred countries like Ukraine or Syria, with Pope Leo repeatedly calling for the youths to "pray for peace". The voices of the amassed young people "will be heard to the end of the earth," Pope Leo told them earlier this week. The Vatican has said that more than 146 countries are represented. The mass that is the climax of the event will take place in Rome's Tor Vergata area in a vast open-air space with a newly built stage for the pope. It is the same area used 25 years ago for the last youth jubilee under Pope John Paul II. More than 4,300 volunteers will be working the event to welcome the young pilgrims, along with over 1,000 police, according to organisers. In an unprecedented move, Leo hosted a mass Tuesday for Catholic social media influencers, signalling the Vatican's openness to supporting the Internet-savvy youth. Rome authorities have tightened security in the city -- which has seen an unprecedented number of people, with both tourists and pilgrims inundated the city. oc/jj
Axios
10 hours ago
- Axios
Trump admin rescinds Carter‑era DEI mandates for federal hiring
The Trump administration said Friday it will end a court-imposed decree initiated by the Carter administration that eliminated a test for federal job applicants and imposed diversity hiring requirements for federal agencies. Why it matters: The move follows the administration's dramatic change to the government's interpretation of Civil Rights-era laws to focus on " anti-white racism" rather than discrimination against people of color. Driving the news: The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said it will eliminate a decree from Luevano v. Ezell, a case brought on by Black and Hispanic job applicants alleging discrimination. The DOJ said that the decree "limited the hiring practices of the federal government based on flawed and outdated theories of diversity, equity, and inclusion." It said the decree entered in 1981 "imposed draconian test review and implementation procedures" on the Office of Personnel Management. What they're saying:"For over four decades, this decree has hampered the federal government from hiring the top talent of our nation," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement. "Today, the Justice Department removed that barrier and reopened federal employment opportunities based on merit—not race." U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro used the quote "by the content of their character" from the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a statement to justify the move. Reality check: The Luevano case sought to remedy decades of discrimination against Black and Hispanic job applicants who had been denied employment based on their racial background. The case ultimately settled in a 1981 consent decree, under which the federal government agreed to eliminate a test and establish two special hiring programs, Outstanding Scholar and Bilingual/Bicultural. The decree was in place for 45 years. Zoom out: The DOJ move comes days after it released new guidelines for recipients of federal funding and directed them not to be involved in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ("DEI") programs. The guidelines say that federal anti-discrimination laws apply to DEI programs and initiatives since they involve "discriminatory practices." The guidelines could have sweeping effects, possibly forcing universities to end ethnic studies programs, media companies to stop paying for staffers to attend journalists of color conferences or nonprofits to cease programs studying health disparities. Context: Since taking office, Trump has attempted to reverse many of the gains made during the Civil Rights Movement and unravel the late President Lyndon B. Johnson's civil rights legacy from six decades ago. Within hours of taking office, Trump revoked LBJ's 1965 executive order mandating "equal opportunity" for people of color and women in the recruitment, hiring and training of federal contractors. Between the lines: The moves fulfill a promise that Trump campaign allies told Axios about before the election: that the president would push to eliminate or upend programs in government and corporate America that are designed to counter racism against Black Americans and other people of color.
CNBC
16 hours ago
- CNBC
Google has dropped more than 50 DEI-related organizations from its funding list
Google has purged more than 50 organizations related to diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, from a list of organizations that the tech company provides funding to, according to a new report. The company has removed a total of 214 groups from its funding list while adding 101, according to a new report from tech watchdog organization The Tech Transparency Project. The watchdog group cites the most recent public list of organizations that receive the most substantial contributions from Google's U.S. Government Affairs and Public Policy team. The largest category of purged groups were DEI-related, with a total of 58 groups removed from Google's funding list, TTP found. The dropped groups had mission statements that included the words "diversity, "equity," "inclusion," or "race," "activism," and "women." Those are also terms the Trump administration officials have reportedly told federal agencies to limit or avoid. In response to the report, Google spokesperson José Castañeda told CNBC that the list reflects contributions made in 2024 and that it does not reflect all contributions made by other teams within the company. "We contribute to hundreds of groups from across the political spectrum that advocate for pro-innovation policies, and those groups change from year to year based on where our contributions will have the most impact," Castañeda said in an email. Organizations that were removed from Google's list include the African American Community Service Agency, which seeks to "empower all Black and historically excluded communities"; the Latino Leadership Alliance, which is dedicated to "race equity affecting the Latino community"; and Enroot, which creates out-of-school experiences for immigrant kids. The organization funding purge is the latest to come as Google began backtracking some of its commitments to DEI over the last couple of years. That pull back came due to cost cutting to prioritize investments into artificial intelligence technology as well as the changing political and legal landscape amid increasing national anti-DEI policies. Over the past decade, Silicon Valley and other industries used DEI programs to root out bias in hiring, promote fairness in the workplace and advance the careers of women and people of color — demographics that have historically been overlooked in the workplace. However, the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision to end affirmative action at colleges led to additional backlash against DEI programs in conservative circles. President Donald Trump signed an executive order upon taking office in January to end the government's DEI programs and directed federal agencies to combat what the administration considers "illegal" private-sector DEI mandates, policies and programs. Shortly after, Google's Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi told employees that the company would end DEI-related hiring "aspirational goals" due to new federal requirements and Google's categorization as a federal contractor. Despite DEI becoming such a divisive term, many companies are continuing the work but using different language or rolling the efforts under less-charged terminology, like "learning" or "hiring." Even Google CEO Sundar Pichai maintained the importance diversity plays in its workforce at an all-hands meeting in March. "We're a global company, we have users around the world, and we think the best way to serve them well is by having a workforce that represents that diversity," Pichai said at the time. One of the groups dropped from Google's contributions list is the National Network to End Domestic Violence, which provides training, assistance, and public awareness campaigns on the issue of violence against women, the TTP report found. The group had been on Google's list of funded organizations for at least nine years and continues to name the company as one of its corporate partners. Google said it still gave $75,000 to the National Network to End Domestic Violence in 2024 but did not say why the group was removed from the public contributions list.
