Education

University Dean Says Flat-Out She’s Hiring People Purely Because Of Their Race

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A dean at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) said in a recent interview that she hired faculty members specifically because they were black, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

Dr. Robin L. Hughes, dean of the SIUE School of Education, Health, and Human Behavior, hired several black candidates in what is described as a cluster hire, which specifically aims to hire multiple staff members of color, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education. The Supreme Court ruled in June to block race-based admissions in colleges and universities, which some worried may make cluster hires harder. 

“I absolutely am,” Hughes said, in regard to whether she was hiring people because they’re black, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

Objections to hiring solely based on race are common, Dr. Bridget Kelly, an associate professor and student affairs & diversity officer at the University of Maryland’s College of Education, told Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

Universities have an obligation to ensure their faculties are knowledgeable about systemic oppression, equity and justice, Kelly continued.

Several lawsuits are now working their way through the courts regarding race-based hiring practices, as well.

American Alliance for Equal Rights, a conservative legal group, sued two major law firms in August, alleging the firms’ diversity fellowships violated the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Another lawsuit filed by American First Legal, a conservative legal group, claimed Meta supports a race-based hiring program.

Hughes did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.