Kansas State University (KSU) is facing a civil rights complaint over a scholarship program that allegedly discriminates based on race. The complaint, filed by the Legal Insurrection Foundation’s Equal Protection Project, accuses KSU of violating Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by creating a racially segregated program.
The scholarship in question, called the Joey Lee Garmon Scholarship, is designed for applicants from historically oppressed ethnic groups in achieving academic and leadership endeavors. The scholarship aims to include students from African American, American Indian, Asian American, and Latinx American backgrounds.
Cornell Law School Professor William A. Jacobson, founder of EqualProtect.org, argues that KSU has failed to grasp the message of the Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action ruling. He asserts that racially based barriers to access are unconstitutional and deter potential students from applying based on their skin color or ancestry. Jacobson urges KSU to drop the racial litmus test and to publicize their commitment to doing so.
The Equal Protection Project has previously filed civil rights complaints against other educational institutions, including the State University of New York at Buffalo, SUNY Buffalo’s School of Law, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, for their use of racial preferences in programs.
At the time of this article, KSU has not responded to requests for comment regarding the complaint.
