Following up on my previous post, SUNY Buffalo Law School Faces Discrimination Complaint Over Summer Pipeline Program That Gives Preference To Students Of Color And First Gen Students:  William Jacobson (Cornell), SUNY Buffalo Law School Will “No Longer Grant a Preference Based on Race or Color” After Equal Protection Project Civil Rights Complaint:

We recently received a letter from the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, that is was closing the case because SUNY Buffalo Law School had dropped the racially discriminatory eligibility requirements (emphasis added):

In support of your allegation, you provided several links to the University’s webpages for the Program, which indicated that preference would be given to students of color. On November 21, 2023, the University informed OCR that the University had revised the Program’s eligibility criteria so that they no longer grant a preference based on race or color and that the University had revised its webpages about the Program to reflect the new race-neutral eligibility criteria. OCR confirmed these representations by reviewing the University’s webpages about the Program.

OCR determined that the University modified the Program’s About the Program webpage to state that the Program is open to “academically promising college students who have completed their freshman or sophomore year, but who will not begin their junior year before the end of the program.” The Program’s Frequently Asked Questions webpage now states that students are eligible for the Program if they are a historically underrepresented student or a student who is in the first generation of their family to attend college; have completed their first year (freshman) prior to the commencement of the Program; have an interest in law; and have a record of achievement. The Program’s Apply Now webpage notes that as a regional program, primary consideration will be given to western and central New York residents as well as students in northeastern Pennsylvania and eastern New York.

Under Section 110(d) of OCR’s CPM, OCR will dismiss an allegation where OCR obtains credible information indicating that the allegation raised by the complainant has been resolved, and there is no systemic allegation. Based on the evidence discussed above, OCR determined that the allegation raised in your complaint is resolved….