Attorney General Todd Rokita has sent letters to Butler and DePauw universities concerning their respective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and practices, which may violate federal and state civil rights laws and the terms of the universities’ nonprofit statuses.
The letters follow a similar inquiry sent by Attorney General Rokita to Notre Dame University on May 9.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear that racial discrimination of any kind in our education system is repugnant to our civil rights laws, even if done supposedly to help groups claimed to be disadvantaged or underrepresented,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Hoosiers are rightfully concerned that some education institutions treat students, faculty, staff and others differently based on race under the guise of DEI. We are investigating to determine whether universities’ DEI programs are consistent with the law.”
Publicly available materials and statements from university leaders suggest that various aspects of Butler’s and DePauw’s operations may be governed by policies that treat individuals — including students, prospective students, faculty, staff and job applicants — differently based on the individuals’ race or ethnicity; employ race in a negative manner when making admissions or hiring decisions; or utilize racial stereotyping.
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