Cornell has cut out several mentions of race, references to diversity, equity and inclusion and resources for filing discrimination complaints from its Equal Education and Employment Opportunity Statement. The revision follows the U.S. Department of Education intensifying its scrutiny of race-conscious policies.
In a letter sent on Feb. 14, the ED directed federally funded academic institutions to eliminate racial preferences in admissions, hiring and programming within two weeks.
An EEO statement is a formal declaration of an organization’s commitment to equal employment opportunity, outlining protections under federal law and explaining how employees and applicants can file a complaint if they believe they have experienced discrimination. An EEO tagline is typically a concise statement conveying the core values expressed in the EEO statement to be used in job postings and company materials.
While the previous statement explicitly referenced discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and 14 other legally protected statutes, the University’s revised EEO statement as of March 17 only refers to the support for individuals with disabilities and veterans.
Since May 2005, Cornell’s previous EEO statement underscored the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, stating, "Cornell University’s history of diversity and inclusion encourages all students, faculty, and staff to support a diverse and inclusive university in which to work, study, teach, research, and serve.”
The previous statement additionally directed employees to University resources addressing bias, discrimination and misconduct through the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX.
The revised statement now reads: "Cornell University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator supporting individuals with disabilities and veterans. Learn more at hr.cornell.edu/EEO."
While the revised EEO tagline includes several of the omitted categories from the EEO statement, such as race and gender, both the new tagline and statement lack resources for applicants and employees to file discrimination complaints, such as contact information for the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX or details on accommodations for disabled students and employees. A reference to being an affirmative action employer was removed from the statement and information about “recognizing a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations” was taken out of the tagline.
When asked by The Sun why the University removed explicit references to DEI initiatives and discrimination resources from the EEO statement, Cornell Media Relations did not offer comment by time of publication.
According to the webpage, the updated language is pending review and approval by the Board of Trustees. The trustees will convene in Ithaca on March 20 and March 21. In recent job postings, Cornell has utilized its revised EEO tagline.
On Feb. 14, Craig Trainor, the ED’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, ordered federally funded institutions, including Cornell, to eliminate racial preferences in admissions, hiring and programming, or risk investigation and loss of funding.
Trainor cited the 2023 Supreme Court case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ruled affirmative action admissions programs unconstitutional. However, Trainor extended the case’s scope in the Feb. 14 letter to include “hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life.”
The ED released a “Frequently Asked Questions” document on Feb. 28, clarifying that not all diversity programs are banned, as long as all initiatives remain open to all students. The ED emphasized case-by-case assessments rather than blanket prohibitions of diversity initiatives in educational programs, signaling a more flexible interpretation of Title VI.
