US Department of Education investigates Ohio State for alleged racial discrimination due to DEI-related partnership

Laurence Myers-Bailey
Fri, 21 Mar 2025 03:03:59 +0000
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Ohio State is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights due to alleged racial discrimination in its graduate programs. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Lantern File Photo

Ohio State is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights due to alleged racial discrimination in its graduate programs.

Earlier this month, Ohio State and 45 other universities were accused of violating Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act — which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in federally funded programs — by partnering with the PhD Project due to the organization’s “eligibility based on the race of participants,” according to a March 14 press release.

The PhD Project is a nonprofit that partners with university business programs across the country to create “more role models in the front of business classrooms” by helping marginalized students gain their Ph.D.s and ultimately bring more “diverse faculty” to business schools, according to the organization’s website.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the release the investigation serves to “ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination.”

“Today’s announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes,” McMahon said in the press release. “Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin.”

The investigation comes in light of the Feb. 14 letter issued by the Department of Education, which threatened to remove federal funding from public education institutions that did not eliminate their DEI initiatives and programs by the end of the month, per prior Lantern reporting.

University spokesperson Chris Booker said in an email the university does not participate in any discriminatory practices when considering applicants to its Ph.D. programs.

“Ohio State does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity or any other protected class, and our PhD programs are open to all qualified applicants,” Booker said.

Christie Zielinski — vice president of Res Publica Group, the public relations firm that represents The PhD Project — said in an email its membership application is “open to anyone” who shares its educational vision.

“For the last 30 years, The PhD Project has worked to expand the pool of workplace talent by developing business school faculty who inspire, mentor, and support tomorrow’s leaders,” Zielinski said. “Our vision is to create a broader talent pipeline of current and future business leaders who are committed to excellence and to each other, through networking, mentorship, and unique events.”