Ranking Member Scott Statement on DOJ and ED Investigations into George Mason University
WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division andEducation Department's Office for Civil Rights opened investigations into George Mason University to determine whether it is engaged in discriminatory employment practices based on race and sex. Additionally, the Justice Department announced an investigation into whether the University has denied equal treatment of individuals based on race or national origin, in violation of Title VI.
“This is the second time in less than a month that the Trump Administration has sought to undermine the independence of Virginia’s higher education institutions. After demanding the ouster of former University of Virginia President, James Ryan, the Trump Administration has now launched civil rights investigations into George Mason University.
“This announcement is troubling, as it comes on the heels of the Department of Education’s abdication of its responsibility to ensure that all students at all schools are afforded safe, quality, and equitable education, regardless of their race, gender, immigration status, socioeconomic status, and disability status. Instead, under this Administration, the government’s Offices of Civil Rights have adopted a radical reinterpretation of our civil rights laws to attack diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) while at the same time it has abandoned its long-standing responsibility to investigate, seek to resolve, monitor, and provide resources to actual victims of potential civil rights violations.
“Under President Gregory Washington’s tenure, George Mason University welcomed the largest and most diverse freshman class in its history and its most academically prepared, with more than 70 percent of freshmen entering with a 3.5 GPA or higher. And, George Mason University became the first four-year public university in Virginia to enroll more than 40,000 students.
“I fully expect George Mason University to cooperate with the investigations. However, it is hard to overlook that this is the second time a Black President of a Virginia institute of higher education has recently been targeted, as well as the suspicious timing of these announcements. The Trump Administration’s selective actions undermine the pursuit of justice, and the independence and academic freedom of America’s institutions of higher education.”
Background: This investigation is part of President Trump’s Project 2025. On page 352, the report recommends prohibiting agencies "from leveraging their Title IV gatekeeper role to mandate that educational institutions adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion policies."
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