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The federal probe, announced Friday, centers on language embedded in the Board of Regents' executive budgets for Fiscal Years 2021–2022 and 2025–2026, which set specific performance objectives requiring Louisiana's public colleges and universities to prioritize students of "all races other than white [and] Asian." The Board's stated goal is to increase the number of such students earning a degree or credential in a given academic year — raising that figure from a baseline of 14,579 in 2020–21 to 16,000 by Academic Year 2025–26.
"The Louisiana Board of Regents' objective to prioritize recruitment and graduation efforts for 'all races other than white [and] Asian' appears to blatantly violate not only America's antidiscrimination laws, but our nation's core principles," said Kimberly Richey, the department's Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. "Title VI guarantees all students equal access to educational programs and opportunities regardless of race and OCR is committed to preserving these rights."
The Louisiana Board of Regents oversees all public colleges and universities in the state, giving its policies broad reach across Louisiana's higher education landscape.
The investigation is notable for targeting language that appeared in board budgets as far back as FY 2021–2022 — predating the current federal administration — but which survived into the current FY 2025–2026 budget cycle. The explicit racial classifications embedded in the Board's performance metrics have drawn the department's attention at a moment when the Trump administration has made aggressive enforcement of race-neutral policies in higher education a centerpiece of its education agenda.
Board Chair Misti S. Cordell issued a statement saying the board had received the department's letter and pledged cooperation.
"We will provide all requested information as it relates to our Master Plan and the state budget," Cordell said. "We are committed to being aligned with Governor Landry's and President Trump's administrations."
