[The current president of George Mason University is a Black man]

To resolve the alleged violation, the department has proposed an agreement that would require Mason President Gregory Washington to issue a statement and “personal apology … for promoting unlawful discriminatory practices in hiring, promotion, and tenure processes.”

The university would also have to revise any policies deemed noncompliant and conduct annual trainings for staff involved in hiring and promotional decisions.

OCR announced Friday (Aug. 22) that Mason leaders would have 10 days to agree to the directives.

“In 2020, University President Gregory Washington called for expunging the so-called ‘racist vestiges’ from GMU’s campus. Without a hint of self awareness, President Washington then waged a university-wide campaign to implement unlawful DEI policies that intentionally discriminate on the basis of race,” Education Department Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement, calling the past five years an “unfortunate chapter” in Mason’s history.

The Education Department says it launched the Title VI investigation into GMU on July 10 after “multiple” professors filed a complaint that the university was giving “preferential treatment” to job candidates and current faculty members from “underrepresented” backgrounds.