WILL’s work to end illegal and discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs was once again featured in a national story, this time on the front page of the New York Times Sunday Edition. Since the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on affirmative action, WILL has aggressively ramped up its Equality Under the Law Initiative, representing more than 80 clients across 25 states to challenge DEI programs.
These lawsuits target a range of sectors, including corporations, law firms, healthcare, and the arts, aiming to eliminate any program that awards scholarships, grants, or contracts based on race, ethnicity, or sex.
Overview of Fight Against DEI: In the article, several conservative legal groups, including WILL, have brought dozens of lawsuits since the Supreme Court ended affirmative action in college admissions, seeking to eliminate racial preferences in the private sector. This movement involves the novel strategy of reviving Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Originally intended to protect the rights of formerly enslaved Black people, the Reconstruction-era law is now used to protect all citizens from racial discrimination in private contracts.
WILL’s Victories In The Name of Equality:
- UW-Madison Scholarship Challenge: WILL filed its second Title VI complaint against UW-Madison after uncovering 22 additional race-based scholarships for the 2025-26 school year, despite the University claiming such scholarships did not exist.
- State Bar of Wisconsin Settlement: WILL secured a landmark settlement forcing the State Bar to abandon race-based criteria for its “Diversity Clerkship Program.” The Bar agreed to change its definition of diversity and will no longer consider race, religion, sex, or other characteristics to determine eligibility for its programs.
- Fighting for Small Business Owners: In a victory against the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), WILL ended the agency’s practice of excluding entrepreneurs based on race. The court ruled these exclusions are unconstitutional, forcing the agency to serve all Americans.
- Dismantling Billion Dollar Federal Programs: WILL sued the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on behalf of MAMCO and Bagshaw Trucking to strike down the DOT’s illegal race-based quota system. The multi-billion-dollar program, funded with $37 billion in taxpayer money, unconstitutionally set aside 10% of spending for specific racial minority and gender groups.
- Fighting for Everyday People: WILL successfully halted race-based federal loan forgiveness programs that excluded a white dairy farmer, Adam Faust.
Find out more at https://defendequality.org/.
Read More:
NY Times: After Affirmative Action Win, Conservatives Sue to Push Change Everywhere
