Oklahoma university sued over alleged racial discrimination that benefitted black students

Students at the University of Oklahoma sued the school on Wednesday over its use of affirmative action, claiming the university favored black students when it came to awarding financial aid.

The lawsuit comes after the United States Supreme Court put an end to race-based decision making when it comes to college admissions last June, which it claimed violated students' 14th Amendment rights guaranteeing equal protection.

The Supreme Court ruled that benefits awarded to students should be tied to their individual character and contributions, rather than based on race.

The three undergraduate students who filed the lawsuit said the university put a high emphasis on racial diversity, particularly black students, via "race conscious" programs on campus. Black students also allegedly received more grants compared to other students, based on enrollment data the university reported to the Department of Education from 2009-2022, according to Fox News.

"Racial discrimination in all of its forms is illegal and immoral, and we intend to vindicate that principle in this lawsuit," David Thompson, the attorney for the students, told the outlet.

One student claimed that she was told financial aid was not typically available to "students like her" but would have been available if she was black. All three students in the lawsuit identify as white and non-Hispanic.

The students also claimed they were excluded from a three-day "Welcome Black Weekend" orientation for new students. The lawsuit adds that it cannot show the full extent of the racism on the campus, because the university has deleted some diversity pages from its website.

"In an effort to obscure the extent to which it has engaged in race-based decision making, the University of Oklahoma has recently deleted many webpages with information about its diversity and race-based programs," the lawsuit alleged. "It is therefore difficult to determine the full extent of the University’s race-based programs."

The lawsuit names university President Joseph Harroz, Chief Enrollment Officer Jeff Blahnik, Director of Financial Aid Services Courtney Henderson, and Student Engagement Director Dorion Billups as defendants.