AFPI Files Federal Civil Rights Complaint Against Cornell University for Systemic Discrimination

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has submitted a sweeping federal civil rights complaint and request for federal investigation against Cornell University, alleging systemic discrimination in hiring, scholarships, and faculty policies — all driven by illegal DEI mandates.

The complaint, filed with the U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, presents substantial evidence that Cornell:

• Discriminated against job candidates based on race and sex;
• Eliminated faculty position applicants based on ideological statements; Excluded students for scholarship opportunities based on race and ethnicity.

The evidence revealed raises serious questions about whether Cornell misled the federal government about its compliance with civil rights law while receiving over $1 billion in federal funding.

At the center of the allegations is Cornell’s current president, Michael Kotlikoff, who served as provost during the period when many of the most egregious practices were implemented. Despite public statements to the contrary, internal emails and public documents show that the Office of the Provost—led by Kotlikoff at the time-- oversaw a hiring scheme that excluded the vast majority of qualified candidates based solely on race and sex.

“This is about civil rights,” said Jessica Hart Steinmann, AFPI’s Executive General Counsel. “Cornell’s practices violate federal law and fundamental principles of equality. It’s time for the government to act.”

Highlights of the complaint include:

• A race-conscious hiring scheme in a Cornell STEM department that excluded over 98% of candidates based solely on immutable traits.
• A now-deleted Weill Cornell Medical School program offering $50,000 incentives for recruited faculty from preferred racial categories.
• Scholarships restricted by race or ethnicity — in clear violation of federal law.
• A hostile environment in which objecting to discriminatory DEI mandates is treated as misconduct.

AFPI is urging federal agencies to investigate whether Cornell violated Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, and the False Claims Act. Taxpayers, students, and employees deserve to know whether university officials falsely certified compliance with civil rights laws in order to secure taxpayer funds.

To read the full complaint, click here.

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