Republicans want the Department of Education to investigate whether federally funded universities discriminated against White, Asian or other students because they were required to nominate students to a Google-sponsored fellowship program based on race, ethnicity and disability status.
Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Mary Miller of Illinois and Bob Good of Virginia highlighted a provision that prohibited universities from nominating more than two students per year who do not “self-identify as a woman, Black/African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic/Latinx, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and/or person with a disability.”
The Google Ph.D. Fellowship allows universities to nominate four students annually for three-year fellowships that cover spiring computer scientists’ tuition, fees and living expenses while they work with mentors.
The Republicans say Education Secretary Miguel Cardona should examine whether the program violated federal anti-discrimination laws under the Civil Rights Act because the program appeared to apply “unconstitutional race and sex diversity quotes” on schools.
“Any federally funded university that changed their nominating criteria to meet Google’s discriminatory and harmful rules unjustly stripped hard-working and talented students of the opportunity to even be considered for one of the most valuable fellowships in the STEM world, solely because of their race, sex, or disability status,” their letter said. “The American people deserve answers and transparency, and every gifted STEM student at a taxpayer-funded university deserves a level playing field.”
They urged Mr. Cardona to examine nominations stretching back to April 2020 and whether the process also violated Title IX education rules that prohibit racial discrimination from colleges that obtain federal funds.
The Washington Times has reached out to the Department of Education for comment on the letter.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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