DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — The U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into Duke University and Duke Law Journal Monday, federal officials said.
According to federal officials, the investigation from the DOE’s Office for Civil Rights was prompted by allegations of Duke committing discrimination by using race, color, and national origin to select law journal members.
Federal officials said during the 2024 competition to select editors for the next academic year; the journal allegedly circulated a packet only to affinity groups and instructed the recipients to not share it with other applicants.
The packet, according to federal officials, allegedly gave extra points to applicants who described how they promoted diverse voices by being in an underrepresented group in their personal statements. Applicants could also receive extra points if they were the leader of an affinity group.
According to federal officials, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy requested the following from Duke in a joint letter:
- Review Duke Health’s policies and practices “for the illegal use of race preferences”
- Take “immediate” action to reform any policies and practices that “unlawfully” provide benefits or advantages based on race or ethnicity
- “Clearly and verifiably” assure the federal government the new policies will be implemented going forward
- Create a “Merit and Civil Rights Committee” under the Board of Trustees’ authority to quickly resolve the alleged civil rights violations in a mutual manner between the government and the university
“I am proud to partner with Secretary Kennedy to ensure that Duke commits to excellence, integrity, and lawfulness in their training of our nation’s future leaders,” McMahon said in a statement. “If Duke illegally gives preferential treatment to law journal or medical school applicants based on those students’ immutable characteristics, that is an affront not only to civil rights law, but to the meritocratic character of academic excellence.
“Blatantly discriminatory practices that are illegal under the Constitution, antidiscrimination law, and Supreme Court precedent have become all too common in our educational institutions. The Trump Administration will not allow them to continue.”
Kennedy said in a statement, “We are making it clear that federal funding must support excellence—not race—in medical education, research, and training. Today, Secretary McMahon and I are calling on Duke to address serious allegations of racial discrimination by forming a Merit and Civil Rights Committee to work with the Federal government to uphold civil rights and merit-based standards at Duke Health.”
NewsNation affiliate WNCN has reached out to Duke University for a statement.