University of Texas at Austin: Faculty Antiracism Research Suspended After Complaint to U.S. Department of Education
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University of Texas at Austin
Case Overview
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In November 2021, the University of Texas at Austin鈥檚 administration 鈥減aused鈥 a faculty research project, 鈥淜ids Against Racism鈥 (鈥淕oKAR!鈥), evaluating how white caregivers can effectively engage in a dialogue with white children about racism. The research was suspended after Mark Perry, a professor at the University of Michigan-Flint, filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights alleging that the research violated federal anti-discrimination law. On November 24, FIREwrote to the university expressing concern about the applicability of the law in the research context. That same day, the university鈥檚 administration permitted the research to resume.