Trump administration accuses George Mason University of illegally using race in faculty hiring

ED’s Office for Civil Rights has found that George Mason University violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by unlawfully implementing DEI policies that intentionally discriminated on the basis of race in university practices.

GMU has 10 days to resolve these… pic.twitter.com/DKqBX4CohN

— U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) August 22, 2025

“In 2020, University President Gregory Washington called for expunging the so-called ‘racist vestiges’ from GMU’s campus. Without a hint of self awareness, President Washington then waged a university-wide campaign to implement unlawful DEI policies that intentionally discriminate on the basis of race. You can’t make this up,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor.

George Mason University President Gregory Washington has 10 days to correct his violations. (Photo: George Mason University )

10 days to correct violations

Despite this unfortunate chapter in Mason’s history, the University now has the opportunity to come into compliance with federal civil rights laws by entering into a Resolution Agreement with the Office for Civil Rights, Trainor said.

“In the last seven months, this much is clear: The Trump-McMahon Department of Education will not allow racially exclusionary practices—which violate the Civil Rights Act, the Equal Protection Clause, and Supreme Court precedent—to continue corrupting our nation’s educational institutions,” he added.

According to the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, it has notified Washington that he had 10 days to accept a proposed resolution correcting his violations, failing which could trigger the termination of federal funding for the Fairfax, Virginia, campus.

Washington will be required to issue a statement affirming that GMU will conduct all recruitment, hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions in compliance with Title VI. He must also ensure the university disseminates information to the campus community explaining how to file a discrimination complaint, according to the announcement, it said.

GMU denies allegations

A statement from George Mason denied any allegations of discrimination and said the university “affirms its commitment to comply with all federal and state mandates.”

Trump targets universities

GMU is the second major public university in the US to face scrutiny by the Trump administration in recent weeks.

In June, James Ryan, the president of the University of Virginia, resigned after a Justice Department investigation into his alleged failure to heed federal orders to eliminate DEI policies.

It is not public universities that have faced the ire of the Trump administration recently. Ivy League schools like Harvard and Columbia University have also faced the heat as the Trump administration attempts to reshape higher education in the US.