A nonprofit has filed a civil rights complaint against the University of Virginia (UVA), arguing that its supposedly BIPOC-only mentoring program is racist toward white students.
The Equal Protection Project (EPP) alleged that UVA created, sponsored and promoted ‘a racially discriminatory program called the BIPOC Alumni-Student Mentoring Program,’ in an October 1 complaint filed with the US Department of Education.
BIPOC stands for ‘black, indigenous, people of color,’ and the complaint accused the public university of excluding white students from the mentoring program.
According to the EPP complaint, the program violates Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 14th Amendment of Constitution, both of which prohibit discrimination based on race.
It has emerged that UVA has softened the language on its website about the program to make it appear more inclusive to white people, though it’s unclear if the university did so in reaction to the civil rights filing.
As of October 2, the webpage dedicated to the mentoring program made no mention of it being open to all students, regardless of their race.
‘The BIPOC Alumni-Student Mentoring Program provides up to 25 BIPOC undergraduates in EHD each fall with individual guidance and support from alumni educators as they navigate the early stages of their program and/or career,’ according to a version of the page archived online.
‘The program’s goal is to improve BIPOC undergraduates’ program experiences, career opportunities, and retention through pairing these learners with alumni mentors,’ it continued.
But days later, the page has been edited, saying the program ‘provides up to 25 undergraduates in EHD each fall with individual guidance and support from alumni educators as they navigate the early stages of their program and/or career. This program was created with BIPOC students in mind.’
The description also added: ‘The program is open to mentors and mentees of all races, ethnicities, and national origins.’
A UVA spokesperson told DailyMail.com that the university hasn’t yet received the complaint from the EPP and couldn’t comment. Instead, the spokesperson provided a link to the school’s policy on non-discrimination and equal opportunity.
The EPP said the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has the power and obligation to investigate UVA’s ‘role in creating, promoting and administering this program and to impose whatever remedial relief is necessary to hold it accountable for that unlawful conduct.’
Punishments could include fines, suspending or terminating federal financial assistance to the university or referring the case to the Department of Justice, according to the complaint.
Cornell Law Professor William A. Jacobson founded the EPP, which is a project within the Legal Insurrection Foundation.
The EPP is dedicated to ‘fair treatment of all persons without regard to race or ethnicity,’ and is of the opinion that ‘there is no “good” form of racism, according to its website.
The organization filed similar complaints against six New York medical schools last year, claiming they discriminated against white and Asian teens by making it easier for blacks and others to join their introductory courses.
Jacobson told Fox News Digital that the language shift on UVA’s website is too little too late and an admission of culpability.
‘The wording change by UVA so soon after our complaint is a tacit admission of wrongdoing,’ he said.
‘These wording changes, however, do not fully solve the problem because UVA still signals that the program was “created with BIPOC students in mind.” That is a dog whistle that only BIPOC students are encouraged to apply and that non-BIPOC — i.e. White — students are not welcome,’ he continued.
‘UVA needs to make the program fully open and welcoming to all students without regard to race rather than playing word games.’