In a lawsuit filed Tuesday against the U.S. Department of Education, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People alleged that the federal agency’s recent efforts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at educational institutions are unconstitutional and discriminatory.
The lawsuit named Brown as one of the institutions recently targeted by the federal government because of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. On April 4, the Trump administration confirmed that plans to freeze $510 million of the University’s federal funding were due to alleged antisemitism on campus and Brown’s DEI initiatives, The Herald previously reported.
In an email to The Herald, University Spokesperson Amanda McGregor wrote that “Brown hasn’t had a role in this lawsuit.”
The suit also mentions Harvard, which on Monday refused to meet the Trump administration’s demands while roughly $9 billion of the university’s funding was under review by the federal government. Just hours after Harvard’s refusal, federal officials announced that the White House would pause $2.2 billion of the university’s funding.
As of April 10, Brown is also under investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’s Office for Civil Rights for alleged Title VI violations. Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits federally funded institutions from discriminating based on race, national origin and color.
The investigation was initially launched in February over alleged antisemitic incidents that occurred during pro-Palestine protests at the Warren Alpert Medical School’s May 2024 commencement ceremony. Last week, the inquiry was expanded to include the entire University.
The NAACP suit claims that because of the Education Department’s recent actions surrounding Title VI and DEI, “NAACP members have been denied, or face the imminent loss of, the programs and policies that afford them equal educational opportunity.”
A statement released on the NAACP’s website states that recent communications from the Education Department regarding DEI “include factual inaccuracies and misinterpretations of civil rights laws and threaten the termination of critical public education funds.”
The suit mentions the Education Department’s “Dear Colleague” letter issued in February that described DEI programs as discriminatory. The letter indicated that federally funded educational institutions would be at risk of losing federal support if they do not eliminate these programs.
The suit also points to a Frequently Asked Questions document released by the Education Department on March 1. The suit alleged that this document — which elaborated on the Dear Colleague letter and the government’s anti-DEI policies — used language that was “broad, vague and difficult to understand.”
On April 3, the Department of Education announced that “state educational agencies” had to be certified for compliance with Title VI and submit their certifications to the department within 10 days of the announcement. A few days later, the deadline was extended to April 24.
A Tuesday press release from the NAACP states that the Dear Colleague letter and required certification have had “devastating consequences for educational communities” across the country.
“The Education Department is intentionally discriminating against Black students through its efforts to defund federal grantees based on erroneous facts and interpretations of law,” the press release continued.
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in the press release that the Education Department’s recent actions are “a gross distortion of reality that attempts to erase the lived experiences of millions of Black and Brown children in this country.”
“We are asking the court to act swiftly to our request and will continue to advocate for students of color to be treated fairly and equitably,” Johnson said.
The NAACP did not respond to a request for comment.
Roma Shah is a senior staff writer covering University Hall and higher education. She's a freshman from Morgan Hill, CA and studies Neuroscience. In her free time, she can be found doing puzzles, hiking or curled up with a book.
Samah Hamid is a senior staff writer at the Herald. She is from Sharon, Massachusetts and plans to concentrate in Biology. In her free time, you can find her taking a nap, reading, or baking a sweet treat.
