Category Archive

The Center for Equal Opportunity recently submitted a comment supporting the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) proposed rulemaking on applying disparate impact liability in HUD’s enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. CEO’s comment addressed the impact a recent Supreme Court case, Ames v. Ohio Dep’t of Youth Servs, should have on our understanding of the application of disparate impact liability. Namely, that disparate impact liability makes little sense when our laws set out to protect all Americans’ civil rights equally, and does not allow for a separate standard to apply for those in the majority versus those in the minority.  The full …

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 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 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 …

The Center for Equal Opportunity has been stepping up its media efforts to take our message to an even broader audience. CEO Chairman Linda Chavez appeared on the BBC News Channel several times recently to discuss recent court rulings to rein in immigration enforcement activities in Minnesota. On Sunday, February 22, Ms. Chavez will be profiled for an hour by philanthropist David M. Rubinstein on CSPAN’s America’s Book World, where she will discuss her work at CEO, her long career in civil rights, and her books. Check your local listings. CEO general counsel Shawna Bray was recently quoted prominently in …

by Jason L. Riley, CEO Board Member – this post originally appeared on the WSJ. He requires colleges to submit data proving they don’t engage in racial discrimination. One reason it took so long for the Supreme Court to ban the consideration of race in university admissions, which it finally did two years ago in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, is that the justices previously took college administrators at their word. It is a mistake that the Trump administration doesn’t intend to repeat. A memorandum President Trump signed last week directs colleges that receive federal funding to submit admissions data to …

This article originally appeared on The College Fix Duke Law Journal, Duke Health under scrutiny Two federal agencies have launched probes into Duke University to investigate claims of racial bias as the government pauses over $100 million in funding to the elite institution. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights launched an investigation into Duke University’s law journal and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office froze $108 million in National Institutes of Health grants as it probes Duke Health. Both actions cite Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which forbids institutions that receive federal funds to …

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? …

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 …

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 …