The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday opened another line of legal attack against colleges over their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, policies on transgender athletesand other Trump administration targets.
In a memo to Justice Department staff, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche directed the creation of aCivil Rights Fraud Initiative to pursue damages and penalties under the False Claims Act. The government could use the act to pursue fraud claims against any federal funding recipients, including colleges that get Title IV student aid.
Blanche specifically pointed to higher education institutions as potential targets.
“A university that accepts federal funds could violate the False Claims Act when it encourages antisemitism, refuses to protect Jewish students, allows men to intrude into women’s bathrooms, or requires women to compete against men in athletic competitions,” Blanche said in the memo.
Blanche also suggested that False Claims Act violations under this administration could include DEI programs that “assign benefits or burdens on race, ethnicity, or national origin.” He did not, however, list examples.
The deputy AG cited the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling banning race-conscious admissionsand President Donald Trump’s executive order in January targeting DEI policies at colleges and other organizations.
The Civil Rights Fraud Initiativewill be led jointly by the department’s Civil Fraud Section and Civil Rights Division. Blanche said the two units will...
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