August 24, 2025

George Mason University (GMU), one of Virginia’s biggest public universities, is under a fiery federal investigation. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) found that GMU broke the law by using race as a factor in hiring and promotions. This violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids discrimination in schools getting federal money. The trouble started in July 2025 when some GMU professors complained. They said the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, set up by President Gregory Washington since 2020, gave special treatment to faculty from certain racial groups. They claimed this wasn’t just about fairness—it turned into discrimination against others. OCR checked carefully and agreed. Their report revealed shocking details: GMU could skip normal job competitions if the candidate “strategically advances the institutional commitment to diversity and inclusion.” Even the Faculty Handbook required job offers to be approved by a special office, earlier known as the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The government isn’t playing around. It gave GMU only 10 days to accept a Resolution Agreement. If GMU says yes, it means: - President Washington must publicly apologize for breaking civil rights law. - The university must tell students and staff they won’t use race in hiring, promotions, or tenure decisions anymore. - All policies mentioning race as a factor must be reviewed and changed. - Hiring and promotion teams must get yearly training on following the law. - A system will monitor and report GMU’s progress to the government. In other words, GMU will have to tear down the very DEI building blocks it once proudly built—or face losing crucial federal funding. This case is bigger than just GMU. It follows the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action for student admissions. Now, the spotlight shines on how colleges hire faculty. Many have quietly used race-conscious policies for years, but the federal government is sending a loud message. Craig Trainor, OCR’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, said GMU’s policies were “unlawful” and stressed the Trump-McMahon administration “will not allow racially exclusionary practices” in education. That’s a clear warning to every university in America. What happens next? GMU must act fast. Saying no to the agreement could mean losing federal funds that support student aid and research. That’s a risky blow for any public university. Now, all eyes are on President Washington. He must offer a public apology while managing the storm over years of DEI hiring choices. GMU’s case is a landmark moment, challenging how far colleges can go for diversity without breaking the law. The rules of the game are changing, and George Mason University is right in the middle of this spicy drama!

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Tags: George mason university, Dei policies, Federal investigation, Civil rights, Title vi, College hiring,