Lawsuit alleges discrimination against white men at Northwestern Law School

Lawsuit targets hiring process at top-tier law school

What you probably already know: Well-funded conservative groups have been suing various institutions alleging discrimination in an attempt to end any policies or programs that support diversity, equity and inclusion. One such group successfully banned affirmative action in the college admissions process, and has since targeted a foundation that makes grants to Black women-owned business. Now, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law is the subject of a suit that alleges discrimination against white men in the school’s hiring process.

Why? The suit alleges the college made 21 job offers in the last three years and gave three to white men. They claim the college has declined to hire qualified white men, and instead hired less qualified women, people of color and people with different gender identities. Northwestern defended its hiring practices in a statement to the New York Times, and said it was proud of its “outstanding faculty.” Professors named in the suit were not necessarily participating, and several spoke to the Times, saying they had no issue with Northwestern’s decision not to proceed with their applications.

What it means: Expect to see more of these kinds of suits across many sectors. Higher education and philanthropy may be where these suits begin, but decisions could have wide-ranging implications across many different types of organizations. The American Alliance for Equal Rights, which is behind many of these cases, has also sued Southwest Airlines for a travel award program aimed at Hispanic students. In a previous interview, philanthropy expert Stephanie Ellis-Smith said these were test cases and are unlikely to be the last.

What happens now? The attorney who filed the Northwestern suit told the Times his team was “just getting started,” and encouraged other professors with incriminating evidence to come forward. It’s unclear whether the Alliance for Equal Rights is directly involved with the Northwestern suit, but the nonprofit is funded by billionaire Edward Blum, and has sued the law firms Perkins Coie and Morrison & Foerster over diversity fellowships, the Smithsonian Institute for its Latino Museum Studies Program, and the Minnesota Board of Social Work for considering race in its hiring practices.

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