Following a civil rights complaint, the California State University system has broadened access to its formerly race- and gender-exclusive "Young Males of Color Consortium" program to include all students. The complaint, submitted by Cornell Professor William Jacobson and the Equal Protection Project, alleged that the program, operating across 23 CSU campuses, discriminated against white male students.

Professor Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project, questioned how such blatant discrimination could occur within a university system with extensive resources dedicated to preventing and addressing discriminatory practices. The complaint argued that the consortium's focus on "Black, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islanders and Native American males" violated federal civil rights laws and constitutional equal protection guarantees.

The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights confirmed in a closing letter that CSU had amended the program to be inclusive of all students, regardless of race, color, national origin, or sex. While CSU has not commented on the matter, Jacobson expressed concerns about the sincerity and longevity of the changes. He highlighted the need for continued public vigilance to ensure that such discriminatory practices do not resurface under different guises. He emphasized the importance of holding universities accountable and preventing similar programs from emerging elsewhere within the system.

The complaint cited specific examples, such as the "Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Men of Color Success Initiative," which was exclusively open to self-identified men of color. The Office for Civil Rights confirmed the program's expansion to include all students, stating that the allegations were resolved and no further evidence of legal violation existed.

Jacobson stressed the public's role in monitoring university practices and reporting any potential discriminatory programs, advocating for continued scrutiny to ensure true equality and prevent the recurrence of similar issues.