The Office for Civil Rights is Investigating the University of Minnesota Department of Medicine for a Title IX Violation

The Department of Medicine in the University of Minnesota Medical School is under investigation by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Mark Perry, senior fellow at Do No Harm, filed a complaint with the OCR in March for the Dr. Anne Joseph Women’s Early Research Career (WERC) Award. This award provides funding to supplement the research productivity of junior faculty researchers, but eligibility is exclusively limited to women. Sex-based discrimination is prohibited under Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972.

“Over the past four years, the University of Minnesota has been subject to no fewer than 25 federal civil rights complaints,” Perry said. “This illustrates just how widespread violations of Title VI and Title IX violations are in higher education.”

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department of Medicine sponsors the WERC and other research awards “that support the career development of women and those who are under-represented in medicine and sciences (URiM).”

The Chicago OCR opened the investigation on April 6.