Indiana AG Opens Inquiries Into Private University DEI Policies

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita publicly announced that he has sent letters to the University of Notre Dame (my employer) and to Butler and DePauw universities regarding their DEI activities and raising the possibility that they are inconsistent with their nonprofit status under state law. From the press release about the letter to Notre Dame:

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has issued a letter to the University of Notre Dame concerning the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and practices, which potentially violate federal and state civil rights laws and the terms of the university’s nonprofit status.

Publicly available materials, including the university’s 2033 Strategic Framework, suggest that Notre Dame may treat students, prospective students, faculty, staff, and job applicants differently based on race or ethnicity; employ race in a negative manner when making admissions or hiring decisions; or utilize racial stereotyping.

Racial discrimination of any kind in educational settings violates fundamental moral and legal principles that are enshrined in state law. Attorney General Rokita said nonprofit universities that flout those principles and pursue race-based DEI initiatives may jeopardize their nonprofit status.

Coverage: IndyStar.

Lloyd Mayer