Brookings Hall, one of the symbols of Washington University in St. Louis. (Stephen Ehlers/Contributor)
Additionally, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14151 in 2025, which prohibits race- and sex-based DEI structures and preferences in federally funded programs.
The complaint outlines how the school operated a Bias Report and Support System that encourages anonymous reports for perceived "bias," including protected speech, which America First Legal claims chills expression and enforces ideological conformity.
DEI is so prominent at WashU, according to the complaint, that it conditioned grading and professional advancement at its Olin Business School on compliance with DEI frameworks, allegedly segregating students by race, sex, and identity in coursework and penalizing dissent through grading and evaluations.
The complaint flags federally funded research and training programs at the university that America First Legals says explicitly aim to increase participation from "underrepresented" racial and ethnic groups, arguing that such goals amount to unlawful preferences. It further claims the university operates race-based student services, supplier diversity initiatives and pipeline programs designed to shape admissions outcomes indirectly.
"This position defies common sense. Institutions that are complying with the law do not spend months delaying action and convening lawyers to figure out how to proceed," Megan Redshaw, an attorney at America First Legal, said in a press release.
Hundreds protest outside a rally held by President Donald Trump at Macomb County Community College in Warren, Michigan, on April 29, 2025. (Getty Images/Dominic Gwinn)
"Washington University did not misunderstand the law. It chose to ignore it and preserve unlawful DEI practices through rebranding, bureaucratic maneuvering, and euphemisms. That is not compliance. It is concealment."
America First Legal is asking the DOJ to open a formal investigation, require WashU to dismantle DEI offices and programs, audit federal funds received since 2021, and potentially suspend or condition future federal funding until the university certifies compliance with civil rights law.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital reached out to WashU for comment.
Last year, Fox News Digital first reported that the Washington University School of Medicine, according to America First Legal, moved their DEI office to a restricted floor rather than shut it down in line with the Trump administration’s efforts.
Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/watchdog-urges-doj-probe-of-top-research-university-over-alleged-illegal-dei-practices-defies-common-sense