Overview

• The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division opened a Title VII investigation into allegations that GMU used race and sex as motivating factors in faculty hiring and promotion.
• Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the probe will scrutinize internal emails and policies from President Gregory Washington that reference preferential treatment to achieve diversity goals.
• The Education Department launched its own Title VII employment review after professors filed complaints alleging racial discrimination in hiring.
• George Mason University’s leadership has denied any unlawful discrimination and vowed to cooperate fully with both federal investigations.
• Officials warn that findings of Civil Rights Act violations under Title VI or VII could jeopardize the university’s eligibility for federal funding.