A conservative civil rights watchdog is pressing Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to investigate more than 700 HHS-funded grants allegedly discriminating against certain races. The Equal Protection Project (EPP) filed a civil rights complaint and urged sweeping review of minority-focused grants that may violate federal law.
EPP highlights one glaring example: a $104,000 “REACH Minority Fellowship” administered by Yale and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry. Though HHS requirements don’t legally mandate race-based eligibility, the partnership insists applicants be from minority groups—arguably misusing federal funds. EPP’s June 24 letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy warns this may represent a broader problem, urging a department-wide audit to root out improper racial exclusions.
Organizer William A. Jacobson emphasized the stakes: any grantee imposing race-based rules “does damage not just to the people who are excluded, but also to the healthcare system”. The complaint and letter follow a milestone for EPP: their 100th challenge to DEI programs across higher education.
The Daily Caller, which obtained the EPP letter, reported over 700 active minority-oriented grants exist in public HHS databases—and “such aspirations cannot be permitted to turn into civil rights violations when implemented”. EPP demands both an audit and administrative action to hold institutions accountable.
Secretary Kennedy has not yet responded to requests for comment. If HHS complies, a massive overhaul could follow—potentially reshaping the boundaries of government-funded diversity programs and curbing race-based eligibility criteria.
