The U.S. Department of Education is facing accusations of unfairly targeting Christian colleges and universities, with critics claiming the department is pushing a “woke agenda.”
According to The Christian Post, a report released earlier this month by the conservative think tank, the American Principles Project (APP), highlighted actions taken by the department’s Office of Enforcement against Christian institutions.
According to the report, although Christian colleges and universities make up less than 10 per cent of U.S. students, they account for around 70 per cent of the penalties imposed by the department’s enforcement office.
The report also noted that, over the past decade, while the average fine against public and private academic institutions for violating federal campus crime laws was approximately $228,571 (£179,405), Christian schools faced average fines of $815,000 (£639,693).
This includes significant penalties against major Evangelical institutions like Grand Canyon University and Liberty University, which the APP claims were subject to record-breaking fines.
In contrast, the fines imposed on public universities like Michigan State and Penn State for high-profile abuse scandals were reportedly millions of dollars lower.
The APP argues that this disparity reflects a bias against Christian institutions.
Jon Schweppe, Policy Director for APP and author of the report, accused the Biden administration of using the federal government to target schools that oppose the left’s ideological agenda.
He called the treatment of Christian colleges "egregious" and demanded that it be stopped immediately.
The Christian Post contacted the Department of Education for comment, and a spokesperson denied the allegations.
The department insisted that a school’s religious affiliation or nonprofit status does not influence its enforcement actions, emphasising that its primary concern is student safety and academic opportunity.
The spokesperson also criticised the APP report, claiming that it misrepresents publicly available data.