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Federal Scrutiny Intensifies Over Alleged Racial Preferences at Duke University By [BBC News Reporter Name] **DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA—**Duke University, one of America’s most prestigious research institutions, is currently facing two major federal civil rights investigations into its admissions, hiring, and internal selection practices following allegations of racial discrimination that may violate federal law. The U. S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly announced directed investigations into the university’s operations. The probes target alleged preferential treatment based on race and ethnicity within the highly competitive Duke Law Journal and extend to systemic allegations across the broader Duke Health system, including the School of Medicine. Officials from both federal agencies have warned that continued non-compliance with anti-discrimination statutes, particularly Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, could jeopardise the university’s significant federal funding streams. The Law Journal and the Points System Allegations The initial focus of the Education Department’s investigation centres on the selection process for the student-edited Duke Law Journal (DLJ). The OCR probe was prompted by reports alleging that the Law Journal provided a confidential application packet exclusively to student affinity groups. This packet reportedly contained instructions on how applicants could receive additional points in the merit-based selection process by describing their membership in an "underrepresented group" and explaining how it promoted "diverse voices. " The system is alleged to have potentially awarded extra consideration based on an applicant's race or ethnicity, a practice scrutinised under the U.
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S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that limited affirmative action in university admissions. The federal government’s position is that such race-based preferences in post-admissions programs, particularly those receiving federal funds, violate Title VI. "If Duke illegally gives preferential treatment to law journal or medical school applicants based on those students' immutable characteristics, that is an affront not only to civil rights law, but to the meritocratic character of academic excellence," stated U. S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a recent press statement. Scope Widens to Duke Health and Medical Education In a separate but related action, Secretary McMahon and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sent a joint, strongly worded letter to Duke University leadership. This correspondence outlined shared concerns over allegations of systemic racial preferences extending across Duke University School of Medicine and other key components of Duke Health.
The officials argue that preferential treatment in medical education, research, training, and hiring risks compromising the meritocratic standards essential for quality patient care and scientific discovery. The letter specifically cited concerns that Duke Health may be engaging in practices that violate both Title VI and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits discrimination in health programmes that receive federal funding. "There is arguably no other area of our educational system where the rejection of merit is more dangerous than in medicine, where the competence of doctors means the difference between life and death for patients, and where scientific discovery is the difference between life-saving cures and the ravages of disease," the joint letter asserted. To address these concerns, the federal agencies have demanded that Duke University create a "Merit and Civil Rights Committee" with delegated authority from the Board of Trustees. This committee would be tasked with reviewing all policies and practices at Duke Health for any unlawful use of race preferences and ensuring swift reform. Financial and Institutional Context These intense federal actions arrive at a moment when Duke is already under significant financial pressure related to changes in federal funding policies. University officials had previously signalled a "strategic realignment" and cost-reduction process, which included a freeze on most staff and faculty hiring, the suspension of non-essential capital spending, and an employee buyout programme. The university estimated potential losses ranging from $500 million to $750 million annually due to policy shifts, including proposed caps on indirect cost reimbursement for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants. As a major recipient of NIH funding, Duke Health’s financial stability is heavily reliant on federal grants, which accounts for a substantial portion of its research budget. This precarious financial context amplifies the threat posed by the new civil rights investigations.
A finding of Title VI non-compliance could lead to the termination of federal financial assistance, a measure the HHS Secretary implicitly threatened if the university fails to demonstrate timely and comprehensive reform. Duke’s leadership has been asked to respond to the allegations and the request for the formation of the Merit and Civil Rights Committee within ten business days. This timeframe sets the stage for a critical internal debate over the future of the university's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, which have been a point of contention in the broader national landscape. The Trump Administration has aggressively pursued a policy agenda aimed at "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity," making Duke one of several high-profile institutions facing similar pressure. Outlook The Duke University administration has not yet made a comprehensive public statement regarding the details of the investigations or the specific allegations. The dual federal probes place the university in a difficult position: it must simultaneously defend its institutional mission while urgently demonstrating compliance with federal civil rights law to protect billions in research and operational funding. Analysts suggest the outcome of these negotiations and investigations could serve as a major precedent for how universities across the United States navigate the post-affirmative action environment, particularly concerning policies designed to promote diversity. The next steps will involve Duke's official response and the internal launch of the mandated Merit and Civil Rights Committee, initiating a six-month period during which the university must provide clear and verifiable assurances of policy reform to federal regulators. This video provides background context on the key academic and health milestones achieved by the Duke University School of Medicine in the year preceding the investigations: Reviewing Duke University School of Medicine's 2024 Achievements.
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