DOJ Launches Investigation Into Arizona State University’s DEI Practices, Claims ASU Denied Equal Treatment to Students

Department of Justice

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into Arizona State University's diversity, equity, and inclusion practices after federal officials said recent viral videos suggested the school denied equal treatment to students based on race, color, or national origin.

The DOJ's Civil Rights Division announced the Title VI investigation on Wednesday, stating it will review whether ASU's DEI policies result in illegal discrimination in admissions, recruitment, scholarships, tutoring, and other educational support services.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits institutions that receive federal funding from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin, according to Fox News.

Officials said the probe was prompted by online videos that appear to show university personnel describing practices that differentiate between students based on protected characteristics.

According to the Justice Department, the videos also appear to show ASU attempting to shield these practices from federal scrutiny, raising concerns that some DEI initiatives may have continued under different names or through informal channels.

Investigators will examine whether any such efforts constituted intentional attempts to evade federal civil rights oversight. The department emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that the Civil Rights Division has not yet reached a conclusion on whether any laws were violated.

The ASU investigation follows earlier federal civil rights complaints filed this year by watchdog group Protect the Public's Trust, which cited undercover recordings alleging the university maintained race‑conscious programming despite public claims to the contrary.

Those complaints argued that maintaining such programs could violate both Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause, as well as Article 2, Section 36 of the Arizona Constitution, which bars preferential treatment or discrimination based on race or sex in public education, Aim reported.

In prior statements responding to those complaints, an ASU spokesperson said the university complies with federal law, does not discriminate in admissions or scholarship selections, and has operated under the state constitutional provision prohibiting preferential treatment since 2010.

The Justice Department said that, if investigators substantiate violations, potential consequences could include federal requirements to change policies and sanctions affecting ASU's federal funding.

Officials did not provide a timeline for the review but said the inquiry will focus narrowly on whether students were subjected to unequal treatment as suggested in the recent videos. ASU had not issued a new public statement specifically responding to the DOJ announcement as of the department's latest release, as per ABC15.