GMU now faces fourth federal probe

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday that it has opened a second investigation into George Mason University, marking the fourth federal probe of the university opened in the past month.

The DOJ’s civil rights division is leading a “compliance review investigation” into whether the public university is violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to a letter sent to the university’s rector Monday. The university is ordered to produce “a series of certifications, responses, and productions of information, data, and materials” by Aug. 1, the letter says.

Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general and head of the department’s civil rights division, wrote the letter to George Mason Rector Charles “Cully” Stimson and attorney Mike Fragoso, whom George Mason’s board of visitors hired to represent them. The DOJ released the letter with a news release Monday.

The latest investigation marks the fourth time since July 1 that GMU has come under scrutiny from the Trump administration. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has opened a probe into whether the university has favored employees of underrepresented races in hiring and promotions, and a separate investigation into allegations that the school failed to protect Jewish students and faculty from antisemitism.

The first DOJ investigation into GMU, announced July 17, is examining allegations that President Gregory Washington has emphasized diversity in hiring and “openly advocated for race- and sex-based hiring processes at GMU” that are biased against white and male faculty candidates and employees.

George Mason University’s board issued a statement regarding the federal investigations Monday night: “George Mason University is an institution of excellence that plays a special role in educating Virginians and students from across the country and around the world. The Board of Visitors has a fiduciary obligation both to George Mason University as an institution and to the Commonwealth of Virginia to ensure that the University continues to thrive as the largest public university in Virginia.

“This includes making sure that GMU fully complies with federal anti-discrimination laws as it excels in its mission. The University and the Board will respond fully and promptly to the requests from the U.S. Government and intends to keep the public informed along the way.”

Critics of the probes say that the Trump administration is working to drive out university presidents with whom they disagree, pointing to the resignation of University of Virginia President Jim Ryan last month. Ryan has said his resignation was due to pressure from the federal government and the likelihood that the university would lose federal funding for student financial assistance and research.

On July 18, GMU’s Faculty Senate Executive Committee sent a letter to the university’s board of visitors urging members “to uphold your responsibilities to the commonwealth of Virginia and to the students, faculty and entire George Mason University community.”

The eight faculty members call the DOE and DOJ allegations “deeply troubling — both because they are inaccurate and appear to be purely politically motivated — and strike at the very core of academic autonomy, inclusive excellence, and the principles of shared governance.”

The faculty senate members also note that the board has “already done in-depth investigations and received reports at several board meetings” over 2024 and 2025.

Like many universities since Trump’s inauguration, George Mason has dissolved its DEI office and other initiatives after a board vote this year, although Ryan was accused by the DOJ of slow-walking such changes at U.Va. and simply renaming DEI functions and job titles.

Dhillon was in frequent contact with U.Va. this spring, as was Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gregory Brown, who is also listed as a contact on the most recent letter to George Mason. Brown, who previously sued U.Va. on behalf of a Jewish student who alleged he was the victim of antisemitic attacks on university grounds, reportedly told several people at U.Va. that Ryan must leave or the university would lose significant federal funding.

Although Dhillon’s letter to GMU is not as direct, its first paragraph states, “As you know, GMU currently receives federal financial assistance from the Department of Justice and other federal government sources and accordingly must abide by Title VI’s anti-discrimination requirements.”

Washington issued a response to the July 17 DOJ letter last week in an email to the campus, saying, “We will as always work in good faith to cooperate fully with the investigation, and are gathering requested information as required. We remain confident that facts and evidence show that George Mason does not engage in ‘illegal DEI,’ as the general accusation has been labeled.”

His statement also noted that because the BOV “opted to outsource the university’s engagement with federal agencies to the Torridon Law firm, university staff is not able to make direct contact with the DOJ in order to learn more about the complaint.” Fragoso, who is included on both letters from the DOJ along with Stimson, is a partner at Torridon, a firm started by former Trump attorney general Bill Barr.

It’s unclear why the board hired the outside firm instead of relying on the university’s legal counsel, but the decision highlights differences between Washington and the board of visitors, all of whom were appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and have occasionally publicly criticized Washington over DEI matters.

Stimson and other board members come from powerful conservative institutions such as the Heritage Foundation, and Washington started at George Mason in July 2020 as its first Black president, hired by an entirely different board made up mainly of appointees by former Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat.