CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The state flagship university has struck a deal with the federal government that wraps up a long list of civil rights inquiries, the U.S. Department of Justice and UNC-Chapel Hill announced on Monday.
The voluntary agreement with the Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Education closes 18 active investigations and ends a Justice Department compliance review of admissions. The university said the matters date back to 2019, span the Biden and Trump administrations and cover claims of discrimination by race, sex and ethnicity, including antisemitic harassment.
UNC-Chapel Hill does not admit wrongdoing or liability and will not pay a monetary settlement. University leaders said the deal keeps the school in line for federal grants, contracts and research funding, and that it affirms academic freedom, with the federal government not dictating speech or curricula.
Under the terms, the university must hire a Title VI coordinator, require antisemitism training for students and staff and bar face masks that hide a person identity, with exceptions for medical and religious needs. Federal officials said admissions will be color-blind, meaning the school cannot use race or racial data to shape the makeup of its student body.
A Merit and Civil Rights administrator will oversee the agreement and get complaint reports every quarter covering antisemitism and racial bias. The university tapped Elizabeth Hall, who serves as associate vice chancellor overseeing compliance, to fill both that post and the Title VI coordinator role, reporting directly to the chancellor.
Chancellor Lee H. Roberts said in a statement that the agreement reinforces the commitment of the university to fair and equal treatment for everyone on campus.
The agreement runs through Dec. 31, 2028, and the university will file quarterly compliance reports during that time.
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