U.S. Commission on Civil Rights members seek probe after Northwestern faculty declare they’re racist

The Oct. 21 memo points out that “during a recent online town-hall meeting, several employees publicly admitted that they are racists, and one even admitted to acting as a ‘gatekeeper of white supremacy.'”

The letter, signed by four members of the eight-member panel and written only on behalf of those four commissioners, is in reference to an online townhall meeting that took place August 28 during which Northwestern University law school faculty and other employees called themselves racists as they introduced themselves.

The letter adds:

Included in this number of admitted racists was James B. Speta, the law school’s Interim Dean and the Elizabeth Froehling Horner Professor of Law. The Pritzker School of Law participates in Title IV federal financial-aid programs, and thus must abide by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, which provides that “[n]o person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Based on these facts, we ask that you consider conducting an investigation into the Pritzker School of Law’s potentially discriminatory practices—similar to your investigation into Princeton University’s potentially discriminatory practices—and that you take any additional action that you deem appropriate.