The House Judiciary Committee has released an interim staff report alleging that George Mason University (GMU) engaged in illegal racial discrimination in faculty hiring under the leadership of President Gregory Washington. The report claims that GMU, which receives federal funding, likely violated the Civil Rights Act by using racial quotas and balancing faculty demographics to support President Washington’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiative.
Federal law prohibits discrimination based on race in hiring or firing decisions and restricts entities receiving federal funds from such practices. According to the Committee’s findings, at least three GMU schools established specific racial hiring quotas, while three others attempted to align faculty hires with student racial demographics. The report states these policies discriminated against groups including South Asians, Southeast Asians, Arab-Americans, Caucasians, and others.
Dr. Washington reportedly denied any illegal discrimination during a transcribed interview with the Committee. However, the Committee asserts there is substantial evidence contradicting his statements and accuses him of downplaying his involvement in the creation and implementation of these hiring policies.
The report also indicates that Dr. Washington may have made at least two materially false statements to Congress despite being warned about legal prohibitions against lying under 18 U.S.C. § 1001.
Committee oversight suggests Dr. Washington was ultimately responsible for starting and carrying out these practices at GMU, which are believed to be in violation of civil rights laws.
"As the Committee conducts oversight of the sufficiency of existing law to protect fundamental rights for all Americans, the Committee will continue to examine the use of illegal racial discrimination and DEI practices. So-called anti-racism initiatives—like the one created and directed at GMU by Dr. Washington—violate the spirit and letter of civil rights law," according to a statement from the Committee.
Links are provided for readers who wish to review the full report as well as transcripts from interviews with President Gregory Washington, Antonin Scalia Law School Dean Ken Randall, and Schar School Associate Dean Naoru Koizumi.
