The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on Thursday announced it is investigating George Mason University for allegedly violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through its diversity, equity, and inclusion practices on hiring. 

The department said in a statement that its investigation was spurred by a complaint filed by several GMU professors who alleged that the Fairfax, Virginia university has illegally used “race and other immutable characteristics” in its policies, including on hiring and promotion. 

Such alleged conduct, the OCR said, “creates a racially hostile environment,” which is prohibited by federal law, which does not allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in the employment practices of schools that receive federal funds. 

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