Podcast: Disparate Impact and the Future of Equal Opportunity

Center for Equal OpportunityDisparate Impact

In this episode, experts explore the origins, evolution, and controversy surrounding disparate impact law—from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to landmark Supreme Court decisions like Griggs v. Duke Power Co. (1971) and Wards Cove Packing Co., Inc. v. Atonio (1989), to the legislative response in the Civil Rights Act of 1991.  What is disparate impact liability? How has it shaped outcomes in employment, housing, and equal access to opportunity? Is it a justifiable basis for legal liability without evidence of disparate treatment?  Join us for a conversation on one of the most debated legal doctrines in American civil rights …

CEO Selects Fourth Annual Class of Civil Rights Fellows

Center for Equal OpportunityAbout CEOUSA

Dear friends, I am pleased to introduce to you the 2025 class of CEO civil rights fellows. This August, the fellows will participate in our intensive seminar-style program in Washington, D.C. This fellowship is a first-of-its-kind program within which fellows receive instruction and training in civil rights caselaw, enforcement practices, and public policy. For example, fellows will learn the history of major civil rights laws, become familiar with major Supreme Court decisions in this area, and learn about current controversies surrounding civil rights law and enforcement. The seminars will be led by law and policy experts, litigators, former government officials, and other thought leaders. Fellows will also …

The Future of DEI: The Case of the Fearless Fund

Center for Equal OpportunityUncategorized

In March 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order scaling back federal DEI initiatives, signaling a major turning point in the national conversation around race-conscious policies in the workplace. This Regulatory Transparency Project’s latest short film revisits American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Fearless Fund, a case challenging a race-based grant program under Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Featuring legal scholars, civil rights attorneys, and policy experts from across the ideological spectrum, this documentary explores the origins of DEI policies and asks whether these initiatives are a necessary path to equality — or an obstacle to it? …

The Center for Equal Opportunity announces newest members of the team

Center for Equal OpportunityKeeping Up with CEO

Shawna Bray is CEO’s new General Counsel. She is an experienced litigator, having been an associate at Arnold & Porter in Washington D.C., and Richard, Layton & Finger in Wilmington, DE. She was also counsel at Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP in Washington. She has also most recently been a consultant for the Federalist Society’s Freedom of Thought Project and has worked on a number of CEO projects, including drafting an amicus brief in Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board. Ms. Bray is a graduate of the University of Iowa and Northwestern Law School. Samantha Crane is CEO’s 2025–2026 Visiting Legal Fellow …

2025 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 2025 Civil Rights Fellowship. The program, which will take place in August of 2025 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: CEO Joins Heritage Foundation 2025 Presidential Transition Project TESTIMONY OF ROGER CLEGG, PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL, CENTER FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY BEFORE THE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS …

Education Department Dear Colleague Letter Implements Trump Administration Anti-Discrimination Policies in Education

Center for Equal OpportunityUncategorized

by Samantha Crane THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED at THE FEDERALIST SOCIETY Note from the Editor: The Federalist Society takes no positions on particular legal and public policy matters. Any expressions of opinion are those of the author. We welcome responses to the views presented here. To join the debate, please email us at info@fedsoc.org. Time’s up. Schools throughout the country were fighting the calendar after a recent Dear Colleague Letter issued by the Department of Education gave schools two weeks to eradicate any discriminatory practices at their institutions, including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices. That letter was followed up by a new …

Equality Doesn’t Equal Equity | THE INVISIBLE MEN

Center for Equal OpportunityUncategorized

In this episode of the Invisible Men, Ian and Nique engage with Devon Westhill, president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, discussing his personal journey growing up as a mixed-race child in the South, the dynamics of race and education, the role of single mothers, and the importance of social safety nets. The conversation also delves into the distinction between equal opportunity and equity in today’s society, emphasizing the need for character-based judgment over race-based outcomes. Devon discusses the complexities of racial representation in corporate America, the shifting dynamics of equity and inclusion, and the potential impact of AI on …

CEO Applauds Trump Administration’s Civil Rights Actions

Center for Equal OpportunityGovernment Activity, Racial Preferences

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Devon Westhill Wednesday, January 22, 2025 (352) 444-0785 (Washington, D.C) The Trump administration has issued a bevy of executive actions within the first 48 hours of Donald J.  Trump taking office. Several of these actions involve issues the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO) has been active for  many years including racially preferential treatment, gender ideology, and merit-based, colorblind equal opportunity.  In his inaugural address, President Trump indicated he would this week “end the government policy of trying to socially  engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.” He continued, “[w]e …

CEO fellowship alumni featured in Federalist Society panel

Center for Equal OpportunityEducation

CEO is pleased to announce the upcoming Federalist Society webinar “New Voices in Civil Rights: How Universities are Responding to SFFA” featuring four CEO Civil Rights Fellowship alumni and CEO president Devon Westhill. The webinar will take place next Thursday, January 16, at 12:00 pm ET.  From the Federalist Society release: Institutions of higher education released demographic data for their first classes admitted after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College held that the Constitution prohibits the use of race as a “bonus” in admissions decisions. The demographic data reflect a variety of …

Yale event explores role of ‘merit’ in higher education and hiring

Center for Equal OpportunityEducation

Article originally appeared on CollegeFix.com NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Buckley Institute hosted a “firing line” debate on Tuesday afternoon on the role of “merit” in college admissions as well as hiring. Devon Westhill, president and general counsel of the Center for Equal Protection, argued in favor of merit, while Yale Law School Professor Daniel Markovits took the more critical approach. “Is merit a valid measure?” the debate asked, or has it outlived its usefulness. Westhill opened by emphasizing the importance of such debates in spaces like Yale, which he argued often lack intellectual diversity, functioning as echo chambers for …