Less than one month after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) declared race-based affinity housing in higher education violates federal anti-discrimination laws, the Equal Protection Project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation has filed a civil rights complaint against the University of Connecticut for operating three housing programs dedicated to Black male, Black women, and Hispanic students: the ScHOLA²RS House, BSOUL House, and La Comunidad Intelectual.
The ScHOLA²RS (Scholastic House of Leaders in support of African American Researchers & Scholars) House and the BSOUL (Black Sisters Optimizing Unity & Leadership) House both aim to advance the scholastic efforts of Black men and Black women, respectively, through academic and social/emotional support, access to research opportunities, and professional development. Similarly, La Comunidad Intelectual seeks to support Latine and Caribbean undergraduate students and the study of Latin American and Caribbean diasporas at the university.
Notably, none of these housing programs explicitly deny membership to students of any race. However, the Equal Protection Project argues that the programs’ promotional materials and descriptions are “likely to steer [non-Black and non-Hispanic students] from participating” and therefore violate federal law.
In a letter addressed to assistant secretary Craig Trainor and enforcement director Robert Doles of HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, the Legal Insurrection Foundation’s Chief Counsel Maureen S. Riordan, President William A. Jacobson, and Attorney Robert J. Fox wrote of their claims:
“Accordingly, we respectfully request that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity promptly open a formal investigation, impose all appropriate remedial measures authorized by law to address the three identified discriminatory housing programs at UConn, and ensure that all current and future initiatives and programs fully comply with the [Fair Housing Act], Title VI, the Fourteenth Amendment, and other applicable federal civil rights guarantees.”
