Federal Probe Targets CUNY Program
DOJ Civil Rights Division Opens Probe into CUNY’s Black Male Initiative
Key Points
Fox News reports that CUNY’s Black Male Initiative operates across 24 campuses, expanding beyond a single school or program footprint.
At the College of Staten Island, the initiative is offered through the Men’s Center, and the Men’s Center page describes specific supports such as “Academic Advisement, Mentoring, a Safe Space, Workshops, Tutoring, and Work-Study opportunities.” The school’s site also says the overall goal is to help historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students “excel in education and graduate.”
Newsmax says the Equal Protection Project filed its complaint on May 31 with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, alleging discrimination under Title VI and also the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Newsmax reports EPP founder William Jacobson said his group is “pleased” the DOJ is “acting on our complaint,” adding: “Every student deserves equal treatment, and recruiting for educational opportunities never should be dependent on race or ethnicity.”
In a separate finance context, the New York Daily News reports that during a budget hearing CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez confirmed the university system receives federal funding, including some grants that have already been canceled; it also cites that CUNY received $888 million through federal Title IV and that 57% of CUNY students receive federal financial aid, citing university data.
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil-rights investigation into the City University of New York's Black Male Initiative, a program running across all 24 CUNY campuses. Higher Ed Dive reported that federal officials allege the initiative directs recruitment, admissions, student aid, and academic support to "select non-white minorities" based on race — something DOJ officials say "race can never" determine.
The probe puts at risk CUNY's $888 million in federal Title IV funding, which 57% of its students depend on for financial aid, according to New York Daily News. CUNY has declined to comment.
Conservative Group's Complaint Triggered the Federal Probe
The Equal Protection Project, founded by Cornell Law Professor William Jacobson, filed the original complaint on May 31 with the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights, Newsmax reported. The group alleged the Black Male Initiative violates both Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Jacobson said his group is "pleased" the DOJ is "acting on our complaint," adding: "Every student deserves equal treatment, and recruiting for educational opportunities never should be dependent on race or ethnicity." The DOJ moved fast — opening its formal probe within days of the complaint being filed.
What CUNY's Black Male Initiative Actually Does
CUNY launched the BMI in 2005 to address low graduation rates among Black men. The program now spans 24 campuses, according to Fox News. It covers recruiting, admissions, student aid, mentoring, tutoring, and professional development — essentially every stage of the student pipeline.
At the College of Staten Island, the program runs through a Men's Center offering "Academic Advisement, Mentoring, a Safe Space, Workshops, Tutoring, and Work-Study opportunities," according to SILive.com. The school's website says the broader goal is to help "historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students" graduate — language that goes beyond race alone.
A 2012 Obama-Era Ruling Once Gave Programs Like This Cover
The legal ground under programs like BMI has shifted sharply. A 2012 DOJ review under the Obama administration concluded it was permissible for a college to conduct race-targeted recruiting, according to The College Fix. That precedent gave CUNY and similar universities confidence their programs were legally sound.
But the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard changed the landscape. The Equal Protection Project argues that ruling's logic now applies to all educational benefits — not just admissions. The current DOJ probe goes further than the 2012 review, examining whether race shapes access to aid and support services, not just recruiting.
Federal Funding Makes CUNY Especially Vulnerable to This Probe
Title VI only applies to institutions that get federal money. CUNY clearly qualifies. During a budget hearing, CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez confirmed the system receives federal funding and acknowledged some grants have already been canceled, New York Daily News reported. The university took in $888 million in federal Title IV funds.
A finding of a Title VI violation could force CUNY to restructure or shut down the BMI entirely — and could set a national precedent. As one of the largest public university systems in the country, a ruling against CUNY would pressure similar race-targeted programs at universities across the U.S. to overhaul or shut down, according to Chronicle of Higher Education.
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