While federal prosecutors are threatening to sue Southern Illinois University over three small graduate school scholarship programs aimed at women and minorities, saying they were discriminatory, Sen. Barak Obama (D-Ill.) is hinting the action was taken to appease Republican conservatives.
Obama said the move might be more about boosting President George W. Bush’s sagging approval ratings than about discrimination.
“It strikes me as a completely unnecessary and divisive move and one that I think may be pretty cynical in its motive,” Sen. Obama said.
SIU “has engaged in a pattern or practice of intentional discrimination against whites, non-preferred minorities and males,” the Justice Department said in a letter. A copy of the letter was obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The graduate scholarships, or fellowships, violate Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, the department said. The letter demands SIU discontinue the fellowship programs or its civil rights division would sue the university by Nov. 18.