{"id":519545,"date":"2026-11-05T15:56:22","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T15:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/519545\/"},"modified":"2026-11-05T15:56:22","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T15:56:22","slug":"uc-berkeley-faces-federal-civil-rights-probe-over-race-based-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/519545\/","title":{"rendered":"UC Berkeley faces federal civil rights probe over race-based programs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The US Department of Education<\/a> has opened a civil rights investigation into UC Berkeley <\/a>over three student programs and two scholarships after a February complaint alleged discrimination based on race, color or national origin.<\/p>\n

The investigation was disclosed in a Nov. 3 letter from the department\u2019s Office for Civil Rights,<\/a> obtained exclusively by the California Post. The department verified the letter and confirmed it is investigating the university for alleged violations of federal civil rights law.<\/p>\n

The probe stems from a complaint filed Feb. 10 by the Legal Insurrection Foundation, which targets the African American Student Development Office, the Black Resource Center, the Latinx Student Resource Center, the African American Initiative Scholarship and the Lloyd A. Edwards Scholarship.<\/p>\n

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Students walk past Sather Gate on the University of California at Berkeley campus in Berkeley, Calif., Thursday, May 10, 2018. AP<\/p>\n

The complaint argues that even if the three programs don\u2019t turn students away, their names and descriptions would likely discourage students outside the named racial or ethnic groups from participating. <\/p>\n

It alleges the two scholarships have eligibility criteria that exclude applicants based on race, color or national origin.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot all cases get open for investigation,\u201d William A. Jacobson, president of the Legal Insurrection Foundation, the group that filed the complaint, told the Post. \u201cSo when we get a case open for investigation, we interpret that as a sign that the department views the allegations as both factually and legally serious and worthy of investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacobson, who described the open investigation as a\u201dextremely significant step,\u201d said the way a program is marketed can be discriminatory on its own.<\/p>\n

William A. Jacobson, president and director of the Legal Insurrection Foundation, speaks about race-based scholarships and student centers. LEGAL INSURRECTION FOUNDATION<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if you don\u2019t physically turn people away because you have scared people away, you have signaled that you will be discriminating,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is not a defense to an unlawful promotion of a program based on race or ethnicity to say, \u2018Well, we did promote it that way, but we never physically turned anybody away.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

UC Berkeley said in a statement that it \u201cis fully committed to creating a learning environment that is free from all forms of discrimination.\u201d<\/p>\n

The university said the two scholarships under scrutiny are funded by outside sources, not by the university or by federal or state money.<\/p>\n

The Black Resource Center operates at UC Berkeley as the university faces a federal investigation over race-based scholarships and student centers. MY USF<\/p>\n

The Black Resource Center operates at UC Berkeley as the university faces a federal investigation over race-based scholarships and student centers. MY USF<\/p>\n

\u201cFor scholarships administered by UC Berkeley, award amounts are determined without regard to a student\u2019s race, gender, or other identity characteristics,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

Jacobson rejected the argument that outside funding shields the school.<\/p>\n

\u201cUC Berkeley as a public university is required to comply with the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, equal protection under the laws. It doesn\u2019t matter where the money comes from,\u201d he said. \u201cThe institution has to treat everybody equally without regard to race or ethnicity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it is run through university, if it\u2019s facilitated by the university, if it\u2019s promoted by the university, even if it\u2019s from an outside organization, the university still needs to comply with Title 6, and it cannot discriminate on the basis of race color or national origin,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The Black Resource Center at UC Berkeley is under federal investigation over race-based scholarships and student centers. Google Maps<\/p>\n

The university also added that any student who shows financial need is eligible for its financial support, noting that about two-thirds of its undergraduates qualify for aid. It said its student resource centers are open to all students and that it continues to meet its obligations under federal law in running its scholarships and programs.<\/p>\n

The letter, signed by OCR Chief Attorney Anamaria Loya, also warns the university against retaliating against anyone who files a complaint or participates in the investigation.<\/p>\n

A letter from the U.S. Department of Education details a federal investigation into UC Berkeley over race-based scholarships and student centers. United States Dept of Education<\/p>\n

California voters banned the use of race in public university admissions and hiring with Proposition 209 in 1996. The measure is now part of the state Constitution and bars the state from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to anyone based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in public employment, education and contracting. <\/p>\n

Voters rejected an attempt to repeal it with Proposition 16 in 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Berkeley probe is the latest federal action against California\u2019s public universities. In March 2025, the Trump administration opened investigations into admissions policies at Stanford and three UC campuses, including UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Irvine. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe do find California to be one of the leading offenders as a state,\u201d Jacobson told The Post. <\/p>\n

His group has led the charge against race-based campus programs nationwide, challenging some 300 schools and getting many of them to rename their programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe almost never want the program shut down. We want the discrimination shut down. So these programs, if they provide valuable educational opportunities, that\u2019s fine, but they have to be promoted and conducted, consistent with the civil rights laws,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

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