# Equal Protection Project v. Minnesota State University Moorhead (race-based scholarships) *Federal administrative complaint, U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, docket OCR 05-24-2452, filed June 11, 2024* **Equal Protection Project v. Minnesota State University Moorhead** is a complaint brought by the Equal Protection Project before the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR). It challenges race-based scholarships at Minnesota State University Moorhead under Title VI.[^1] The record classes the matter as federal-administrative, with OCR as the forum, not as a lawsuit before a court.[^1][^3] It was filed on June 11, 2024, under docket OCR 05-24-2452. The record lists its status as open.[^1][^2] The matter is part of the [[Minnesota]] record as a federal civil-rights complaint against a Minnesota university. The Equal Protection Project's website also publishes a separate OCR complaint concerning a University of Minnesota program.[^4] The record's sources for the filing are the complaint document published by the Equal Protection Project and the organization's case page on the matter. The record carries no OCR document on this docket.[^1][^2] ## Parties and forum - Complainant: Equal Protection Project.[^1] - Respondent: Minnesota State University Moorhead.[^1] - Forum: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.[^1][^3] - Instrument invoked: Title VI.[^1] ## Procedural history - June 11, 2024: the complaint was filed with OCR under the recorded docket OCR 05-24-2452.[^1][^2] - The record lists the matter as open. It contains no OCR acknowledgment, investigation notice, finding, resolution agreement or closure for this docket.[^2] ## Claims The complaint challenges scholarships at Minnesota State University Moorhead that the complainant describes as race-based. It invokes Title VI as the governing instrument.[^1][^2] The record does not carry the complaint's text. This article therefore does not describe the specific scholarships, the facts alleged or the remedy sought, and it does not characterize the merits.[^1] ## Respondent's position The record contains no response, position statement or resolution from Minnesota State University Moorhead or from OCR on this complaint.[^2] ## Related matters The Equal Protection Project's website also publishes an OCR complaint concerning the University of Minnesota's BIPOC Design Justice Initiative.[^4] A research note in the record describes that complaint as alleging the exclusion of white and Asian students from a race-restricted program. The same note states that an investigation was opened on March 13, 2025. The record carries no OCR document confirming that investigation or its date.[^4] ## Notes [^1]: Equal Protection Project, *Complaint to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights concerning Minnesota State University Moorhead* (filed June 11, 2024) — the complaint document; establishes complainant, respondent, forum, Title VI and the race-based-scholarship challenge. The filing date and docket are as recorded in the case row. https://equalprotect.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/OCR-Complaint-Minnesota-State-University-Moorhead.pdf [^2]: Equal Protection Project, *Race-Based Scholarships at Minnesota State University Moorhead Challenged by Equal Protection Project* (case page, n.d.) — complainant's summary of the matter, listed in the record as its secondary source. The case row records the status as open. https://equalprotect.org/case/race-based-scholarships-at-minnesota-state-university-moorhead-challenged-by-equal-protection-project/ [^3]: U.S. Department of Education, *Office for Civil Rights* (organizational page, n.d.) — the federal office named as the forum. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html [^4]: Equal Protection Project, *Complaint to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights concerning the University of Minnesota BIPOC Design Justice Initiative* (n.d.; posted under a 2024/11 upload path) — the separate complaint. The allegation summary and the March 13, 2025 investigation date come from a dossier note and are unconfirmed by an OCR document in the record. https://equalprotect.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/OCR-Complaint-University-of-Minnesota-BIPOC-Design-Justice-Initiative-1.pdf