A complaint filed recently in federal court by the conservative group “Faculty, Alumni, and Students Opposed to Racial Preferences” claims that Northwestern University’s law school violated anti-discrimination laws by hiring women and people of color over White men with better credentials. The plaintiff’s attorney chimed in on the claim of preferential hiring.
“Yes. That’s the facts that we have is that Northwestern has been passing over people who are white in favor of people who are other races. They’ve been passing over men in favor of folks who are women”.
There are well-documented practices in higher education that have kept people of color and women from educational opportunities, reinforcing a systemic bias in favor of white men. These practices include legacy admissions and standardized testing, legal racial segregation and gender exclusion, a Eurocentric curriculum, and financial barriers among others. When people of color or women point to these barriers, their experiences are denied or downplayed.
Contrary to the accusation of anti-DEI critics, the role of DEI is not to engage in unfair practices, but to help organizations navigate present challenges with an understanding of how history has tipped the scales in favor of some groups and against others. As you progress in your DEI journey, avoid these types of allegations by ensuring that you are in step with your legal team to ensure your decisions and actions are legal.
Our members can learn more about ethnicity and DEI here.
If you aren’t already subscribed to our complimentary ESG blog, sign up here for daily updates delivered right to you.
Photo credit: wolterke – stock.adobe.com
