The Equal Protection Project, led by William Jacobson, issued a civil rights complaint on Aug. 25 that called for the opening of a federal investigation against “discriminatory” scholarships and fellowships at six of the Claremont Colleges — Pomona, Scripps, Harvey Mudd and Pitzer Colleges, in addition to Claremont Graduate Institute.
“The EPP is devoted to the fair treatment of all persons without regard to race or ethnicity,” their mission statement reads. “Our guiding principle is that there is no ‘good’ form of racism. The remedy for racism never is more racism.”
Toward that end, the EPP often takes legal action against colleges and universities, targeting scholarships and fellowships through civil rights and Title IX complaints.
The complaint levied against the Claremont Colleges identifies “discriminatory scholarships” offered at the colleges, according to Jacobson. Included in the complaint is the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship offered by all 5Cs for undergraduate students, which aims to address underrepresentation of minority groups in higher education.
Additional programs at Pitzer College, Harvey Mudd College and Claremont Graduate University are also mentioned within the complaint.
“We are aware of a complaint filed with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and are currently reviewing its contents,” Pomona College said in an email shared with TSL. “While it would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics at this time, Pomona College reaffirms its commitment to fair and equitable programs as a central component of its educational mission.”
Scripps College said they are also aware of the complaint in an email to TSL.
“As of this time, Scripps College has not been informed by the OCR that it has accepted or is investigating this complaint,” they wrote. “The College is reviewing the matter closely to determine next steps.”
Within the filing, Jacobson alleges that college-sponsored programs that give preference to minority groups or demographics based on race or gender violate Title IV and Title VI, which prohibit race-based discrimination and sex-based discrimination in federally-funded education, respectively.
“Regardless of the reasons for offering, promoting, and administering such discriminatory scholarships and programs, they are violating Title VI by doing so,” the complaint reads.
The complaint calls for the OCR to open an investigation against the Claremont Colleges and potentially impose fines and suspend or terminate federal financial assistance to the schools.
Jacobson has become known for filing complaints against programs allegedly violating Title IV and Title VI since he founded the Equal Protection Project in 2023, in addition to his active contributions to conservative organizations such as the Federalist Society.
According to their website, the Equal Protection Project has filed over 70 civil rights complaints against various universities across the United States and has targeted over 200 programs and scholarships for discrimination against non-minority groups.
Jacobson said in an email to TSL that the main goal of filing this complaint was to initiate a change in language of the scholarships and fellowships that are specifically intended for minority groups.
“We hope that the leadership of the various Claremont Colleges will remove discriminatory standards without need for U.S. Department of Education enforcement proceedings,” Jacobson wrote.
Some additional programs mentioned in the complaint include the Halford H. Fairchild Scholarship in Africana Studies at Pitzer; the William Randolf Hearst Foundation Scholarship at Pitzer; the Women’s Inclusion in Science, Technology Engineering & Mathematics at HMC; the Susan Soloranzo Minority Student Fellowship at CGU; and a multitude of other programs for underrepresented communities.
Jacobson said he finds filing civil rights complaints against colleges and universities to be very effective for his program’s goals.
“It gives us a chance to educate the administrations and the public, including students, as to the legal standards applicable to nondiscrimination, while also applying legal pressure on institutions to comply with the law,” he wrote in email correspondence with TSL.
Talent Johnson SC ’27 said that the potential of scholarships being revoked due to this complaint is scary and saddening.
“I hope that the school stands with its students and its true mission of diversity,” she said.
She added that she thinks that the targeting of scholarships may be harmful to many members of the 7C community, saying that she was confused as to the purpose and intent behind such complaints.
“I think it could make students of color and women feel like they don’t have a home here,” Johnson said.
The colleges at this time have not indicated whether a federal investigation will change the scholarships and fellowships offered for minority students.
Pitzer College declined to comment on the complaint; Harvey Mudd College and Claremont Graduate University did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.
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