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 amicusbrief 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 uphold …

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 …

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 …

Upholding Prop 209: CEO Warns California Against ACA7 Race-Based Preferences

Shawna BrayRacial Preferences

The Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO) recently took action to defend the principle of equal treatment under the law by sending a formal letter to California state senators opposing Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7 (ACA7). ACA7, as currently proposed, would roll back key protections established under California’s Proposition 209, opening the door for race-based preferences in areas like public education and financial aid. CEO was heavily involved in Prop 209 in the 1990s and these are exactly the kinds of racial preferences CEO has opposed for over 30 years.  In the letter, CEO raised serious concerns about the legal risk this …

When DEI Becomes Discrimination: The Case of Diemert v. City of Seattle

Anthony PericoloEmployment

As a member of CEO’s inaugural class of Fellows, and then CEO’s first Visiting Fellow, I brought my commitment to colorblind equal opportunity with me to private practice. While my practice has focused on patent law, I hoped to be able to continue to promote CEO’s mission in my pro bono work. Luckily, with the help of fantastic mentors, I was able to coordinate with Pacific Legal Foundation and the Center for Equal Opportunity to file an amicus brief in support of the plaintiff in Diemert v. City of Seattle. I had developed some familiarity with the facts of the case …

‘Black Scholars Matter’ program at Cal State Northridge faces civil rights complaint

Center for Equal OpportunityEducation

This post originally appeared on The College Fixby Jenna Triplett – University of Tennessee Knoxville  Civil rights experts say program could be ‘violating the law’ The “Black Scholars Matter” program at California State University Northridge violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 according to a new federal complaint shared with The College Fix. Civil rights activist Mark Perry filed a complaint against the program, which he called a “racially exclusionary program that illegally excludes and discriminates against non-Black students.” He cited evidence found on the program’s website, including the program’s description, comments from the founder, and promotional videos featuring exclusively …

Roger Clegg on President Trump’s Executive Orders

Roger CleggRacial Preferences

This article originally appeared on NationalReview.com President Trump today signed three really good executive orders, the common denominator of which is an aversion to decision-making that is race-based rather than merit-based. The first targets the “disparate impact” approach to civil-rights enforcement; the second promises the reinstatement of “common sense school discipline policies”; and the third is aimed at college and university accreditation that has “improperly focused on compelling adoption of discriminatory ideology, rather than on student outcomes.” It’s nice to have the federal government on the right side rather than the wrong side on all this, which it will be now and wasn’t before, as the …

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 …