The Men & Masculinities program on Cal Poly's campus is mentioned in a federal civil rights complaint made Tuesday by the civil rights group, the Equal Protection Project.
The Rhode Island-based foundation filed the complaint against eight Cal State Universities to the U.S. Department of Education.
The complaint was filed against CSU's Young Males of Color Consortium and the "men of color" programs that operate on 23 CSU campuses.
Only eight of the programs the foundation named were currently active.
The Equal Protection Project is led by Cornell law professor William Jacobson. It's "devoted to the fair treatment of all persons without regard to race or ethnicity," according to the organization's website.
“We're calling for Cal State to change this program, to find a better way to help people who might be underperforming as a group," Jacobson said. "But you've got to do it in a way that's not exclusionary — and that by its terms is exclusionary.”
Cal Poly's Men & Masculinities program is one of those programs Jacobson says does not include white students or female students.
“The CSU has and continues to operate programs to meet the unique needs of our diverse student demographic," Director of Public Affairs for the Cal State University System Amy Bently-Smith said. "And we are confident that our programs fall within the legal guidelines outlined by the U.S. Department of Education."
Bently-Smith also pointed out that the U.S. Department of Education permits race-themed school programming, as long as the programs offered are open to all students, regardless of race.
A representative with Men & Masculinities did not respond for comment, but according to its website, it claims to provide a supportive, inclusive, and empowering space for men and people who experience diverse and intersectional expressions of masculinity. It also aims to foster a community where discussions, partnerships, and events relating to masculinity can take place openly and constructively.
A Cal Poly spokesperson on Wednesday said the university had been made aware of the complaint, but directed all questions to the CSU Chancellor's Office.
The Department of Education must now decide whether or not it will open an investigation, should the complaint not be resolved before then.
