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Trump Administration Investigates Duke Over Race-Based Selection and Freezes $108 Million in Funding

DOE’s Office for Civil Rights opened a directed investigation into the Duke Law Journal’s 2024 editor-selection rubric; HHS has demanded reforms at Duke Health over race-preference claims.

FILE - This Jan. 28, 2019 file photo shows the entrance to the main Duke University campus in Durham, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)
A general view of the Duke University Chapel and a statue of James Buchanan Duke on the Duke University campus on March 4, 2016 in Durham, North Carolina.
United States Department of Education logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
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Overview

  • The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights initiated a directed Title VI probe into Duke University and its Law Journal after reporting showed extra points were awarded for underrepresented-group membership and affinity leadership.
  • Education Secretary Linda McMahon and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned in a joint letter that Duke must resolve alleged civil rights violations within six months or face enforcement actions, including potential loss of federal funds.
  • HHS’s Office for Civil Rights launched a parallel inquiry into alleged systemic racial discrimination at Duke Health and its School of Medicine, requiring a comprehensive policy review and the creation of a Merit and Civil Rights Committee.
  • The Trump administration immediately froze $108 million in federal research funding for Duke Health, setting a six-month deadline for compliance or risk permanent withdrawal of the grants.
  • This action builds on a broader federal campaign since early 2025 targeting race-conscious diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at elite universities, including similar investigations at Harvard and Columbia.