Exclusive | Two top California colleges dragged into shocking discrimination fight

Two private California universities are facing a civil rights complaint for allegedly sponsoring and facilitating a program that limits participation to students who only identify as Hispanic.The Equal Protection Project (EPP) is demanding the US Department of Education to investigate whether USC and Loyola Marymount University (LMU) violated federal civil rights laws by participating in the Youth Leadership Institute — a college-access and leadership-development program for Latino students, according to the complaint obtained by The Post. “That program discriminates on its face and unequivocally on the basis of national origin,” William Jacobson, president and founder of EPP said.“The universities get involved and potentially become responsible because they support it, they host it on their campuses, they provide all sorts of other facilities for it.” The complaint alleges the universities are violating Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin by offering to host, provide speakers, and on-campus housing for YLI events because it excludes students who are not of Hispanic-heritage.  California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story Jacobson points out that even though the universities are private, they still receive some federal funding and are subject to federal civil rights law. “If this had simply been an outside nonprofit unrelated to the universities, runs a program off the university campus, they wouldn’t be responsible,” Jacobson said.

“Because the universities have voluntarily taken on the burden of promoting the programs, supporting the programs, hosting the programs, providing lodging for participants in the programs they now fully adopted this as their program.” LMU, which describes itself ...