A Seismic Shift for Equal Opportunity: DOJ Declares EEOC’s Disparate Impact Framework Unconstitutional

Center for Equal OpportunityRacial Preferences

For decades, the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO) has led the charge against the abuse of disparate impact theory—a legal doctrine that evaluates fairness based on group statistical outcomes rather than individual merit. Today, we are proud to share a monumental breakthrough in this fight. In response to a formal request from EEOC Chair (and CEO Civil Rights Fellowship instructor) Andrea Lucas, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has issued a historic legal opinion. The DOJ has officially concluded that the EEOC’s longstanding disparate-impact guidelines violate the United States Constitution. This represents a seismic shift in the …

CEO Files Key SCOTUS Brief in Fight for Colorblind Equality

Center for Equal OpportunityRacial Preferences

This week, the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO), joined by our colleagues at the Manhattan Institute, filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in Khatibi v. Lawson. This brief represents a critical moment in the ongoing defense of America’s foundational principle: true equality under the law, without regard to race, ethnicity, or color.  The core question at the heart of this case is one that CEO has spent decades addressing: Can the government use racial engineering to divide Americans? Our brief provides the Court with the historical context and robust empirical data necessary to reject racial preferences and …

A Major Win at UW-Madison—And Our Ongoing Fight

Center for Equal OpportunityEducation

Dear Supporters, We wanted to share an update that highlights exactly why our mission is so critical—and how our steadfast pressure is forcing major institutions to change their ways. The College Fix published a crucial report this week exposing how the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School quietly backed away from the racially exclusionary language used for its prestigious William H. Hastie Fellowship. For years, the university explicitly used descriptions stating that the program “especially encourages applications from candidates of color.” When called out, UW-Madison quickly scrambled to disavow that language, claiming the program is open to everyone and blaming third-party sites—even though records show …

CEO Selects 2026 Fifth Annual Civil Rights Fellows: A Record-Breaking Class

Center for Equal OpportunityAbout CEOUSA

Dear Supporters, We are thrilled to announce the selection of our 2026 class of Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO) Civil Rights Fellows. This year marks a historic milestone for our organization. We received an unprecedented level of interest from highly qualified law students and young leaders across the nation, and as a result, we are proud to welcome a record-breaking class of fellows—our largest and most formidable cohort to date. This expansion reflects the growing urgency and importance of our mission. As cultural and institutional challenges to colorblind equal opportunity continue to evolve, the need for principled, well-trained attorneys and …

Honoring Memorial Day & Welcoming Our Newest Team Member

Center for Equal OpportunityKeeping Up with CEO

Dear CEO Supporters, As we head into Memorial Day weekend, all of us at the Center for Equal Opportunity join you in pausing to honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation, our freedom, and the constitutional principles we hold dear. It is in that very spirit of preserving America’s founding principles that we look to the future of our movement. As CEO continues its critical work defending colorblind equal opportunity and merit-based public policy, strengthening our legal pipeline remains a top priority. Today, we are thrilled to introduce the newest …

Federal Investigation at UCLA Follows Decades of CEO Advocacy

Center for Equal OpportunityEducation

Dear Supporters, We have major news to share in the fight for colorblind equality. A Department of Justice investigation has determined that the UCLA School of Medicine has been illegally using race as a factor in its admissions process. This finding serves as a powerful reminder: This investigation—and the legal accountability we are seeing today—would never have been possible without the Center for Equal Opportunity’s relentless efforts over more than 30 years. Establishing the Intellectual and Legal Framework for Colorblind Equal Opportunity The current accountability at UCLA is the direct result of a strategic foundation that CEO has spent three …

2026 CEO Civil Rights Fellowship Accepting Applications

Center for Equal OpportunityAbout CEOUSA

It is with great joy that the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO) announces and begins accepting applications today for its 2026 Civil Rights Fellowship. The program, which will take place in August of 2026 is intended for law students with an interest in a career in a public, private, or nonprofit setting where their instruction and training can be shared with the public, the courts, and/or through policy development. LEARN MORE Related posts: TESTIMONY OF ROGER CLEGG, PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL, CENTER FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY BEFORE THE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS REGARDING THE PROPOSED EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMINATION ACT Where there’s smoke, …

David Rubenstein profiles Linda Chavez on C-SPAN

Center for Equal OpportunityUncategorized

CEO chairman Linda Chavez will be profiled for one hour this Sunday on America’s Book Club with David Rubenstein on C-SPAN at 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. ET. She will be discussing her decades long career in public service, her work at CEO, and her nonfiction and fiction books with prominent businessman, lawyer and philanthropist, David Rubenstein. Please check your local listings. From C-SPAN’s announcement: Linda Chavez is an author and former Reagan administration official who held several positions, leading the White House Public Liaison office, serving as staff director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and chairing the National Commission on Migrant Education. She was …

CEO chairman slams DEI on PBS

Center for Equal OpportunityUncategorized

CEO chairman Linda Chavez was on PBS this week to discuss, among other current events, the problems with DEI. Chavez, a regular panelist on PBS’s “To the Contrary” said: “I’m a longtime critic of DEI. I spent 25 years as a Director at Fortune 500 companies. I was the chair of the governance committee. Half of our board members were female—but we didn’t use DEI—we cast a wider net, making sure that we included people who could add value to the company with their expertise. And we got terrific people.” Chavez added: “The problem with DEI policies, certainly we saw it …

CEO welcomes new Visiting Economist

Center for Equal OpportunityUncategorized

CEO is happy to announce the commencement of a new research project in support of equality in higher education post Students for Fair Admissions. Simon Laird is joining CEO as our new Visiting Economist. He will be spearheading CEO’s research into racial preferences in scholarship awards in professional programs. Simon has his Master’s degree in Economics from George Mason and is currently completing his Ph.D. in Economics, also at George Mason. We are thrilled to welcome him to the CEO team. Related posts: Politicized external review panels as unguided “diversity” missiles: California university administrators remain ultra-slow learners Peter Abernathy joins CEO as …