The Justice Department announced last week that it has reached a consent decree with the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University that, if approved and entered by the court, would resolve the department’s lawsuit against the board.
The department’s complaint alleged that the board has engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by maintaining paid fellowship programs that establish quotas on the basis of race, national origin or sex. The consent decree requires the board immediately to cease restricting any paid fellowship positions on the basis of race, national origin or sex; to not establish any future paid fellowship positions using these prohibited criteria; and to employ, compensate and provide terms, conditions and privileges of employment to persons for any paid fellowship position without discriminating on the basis of race, national origin or sex in violation of Title VII.