{"id":137534,"date":"2023-11-17T00:08:44","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T05:08:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=137534"},"modified":"2023-11-16T14:08:57","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T19:08:57","slug":"university-broke-state-law-to-hire-black-candidate-over-more-qualified-white-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/university-broke-state-law-to-hire-black-candidate-over-more-qualified-white-one\/","title":{"rendered":"University broke state law to hire black candidate over more qualified white one"},"content":{"rendered":"

Committee re-ranked white, black candidates to avoid \u2018bloodbath,\u2019 investigators say<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The University of Washington Department of Psychology violated a non-discrimination policy by putting \u201cinappropriate\u201d emphasis on applicants\u2019 race in a hiring decision earlier this year, a university investigation found.<\/p>\n

The report<\/a> by the university\u2019s Complaint Investigation & Resolution Office found the department altered its hiring process \u201cto provide disparate opportunities\u201d for a black candidate whom a hiring committee ranked lower than white and Asian candidates.<\/p>\n

The public university prohibits discrimination on the basis of race and sex. The decision also violated a state law banning affirmative action practices in the state of Washington, watchdogs say.<\/p>\n

Hiring committee members told investigators they faced intense pressure to re-rank candidates for the faculty position based on their race, with one expressing fear of a \u201cbloodbath\u201d if they did not offer the position to the black candidate first.<\/p>\n

“The UW is committed to diversity \u2014 and committed to equal opportunity in hiring \u2014 while upholding University policy and state and federal law,” spokesperson Victor Balta said in a statement provided to The College Fix<\/em> this week. “Our students and our state benefit from a faculty whose knowledge and understanding represent the diversity of Washington state.”<\/p>\n

Balta said the psychology department “inappropriately considered” candidates’ races in its hiring process earlier this year \u2013 even after being told “such considerations are inappropriate.”<\/p>\n

As a result, he said, the department is prohibited from tenured faculty hiring for two years. He said they also are launching a comprehensive review and revision of its hiring practices.<\/p>\n

John Sailor with the conservative National Association of Scholars, who has followed the issue closely for months and filed a public records request to gain more insight, reported<\/a> that “Washington State law, though not mentioned in the report, is no doubt also relevant to the incident.”<\/p>\n

He cited a state ballot initiative adopted in 1998 that “the state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or groups on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Here's a comment from a University of Washington search committee member, editing an official hiring report.<\/p>\n

"I advise deleting the statement below as it shows that URM applications were singled out and evaluated differently than nonURM applications (which is not allowed…)" pic.twitter.com\/fRV77jSNtm<\/a><\/p>\n

— John Sailer (@JohnDSailer) November 1, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n