Complaint filed against NCI for discrimination against men

Complaint+filed+against+NCI+for+discrimination+against+men

Tulane University has been notified of a complaint filed with the Office for Civil Rights under the US Department of Education accusing the Newcomb College Institute of discriminating against men.

The complaint relates to “certain types of financial assistance/grants, experiential learning opportunities, and student programs, activities and groups offered through NCI,” Michael Strecker, Executive Director of Tulane University Public Relations, said.

According to an email sent out to students Tuesday afternoon, NCI is now opening participation in its programs to all undergraduate students. The decision to expand programming had unanimous support of the Newcomb Foundation Board and the Tulane Board of Administrators.

“In cases where funding was given to NCI with specific gender restrictions, the institute will honor those restrictions to the extent allowed by law,” Julie Henriquez Aldana, Administrative Assistant Professor of Women’s Leadership Director of Student Leadership and Engagement, said in the email.

Some students may be contacted by NCI in order to update the constitution of Newcomb organizations.

Bronte Foley, President of NCI-sponsored organization Women in Politics, said she is disturbed by the complainant’s misunderstanding of NCI’s purpose and gender-based discrimination.

“NCI does not work to put women above men, but rather to elevate women from their disadvantaged status so they may be afforded every opportunity to advance themselves,” Foley said. “There is a clear pattern of disrespect for women and gender minorities on Tulane’s campus and throughout the world. I view this complaint as yet another display of that attitude. Of course, NCI will respond with grace in order to avoid being shut down all together. But frankly, that shouldn’t be necessary.”

NCI will be working with the OCR to ensure they are honoring restriction put forth by the law. 

This story has been updated as of 11/1/18. This is an open and ongoing investigation. 

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