University of Denver Segregates Students By Race for Post-Election Caucuses

University of Denver (UD) is hosting a series of “race-based caucuses” to help students “process the outcome” of the election, according to an email obtained exclusively by Young America’s Foundation. The Graduate School of Social Work is hosting six race-based caucuses for its Masters in Social Work (MSW) students and faculty, and for general student and faculty populations: “POC MSW students caucus,” “POC faculty/staff/Phd,” “Biracial/multiracial MSW students,” “Black/African/African American MSW students,” “White faculty/staff/Phd,” “White MSW students.” The trainings were announced by Heather Arnold-Renicker, a clinical assistant professor at the school. A brave student whistleblower, Christi Collins, came forward with information about the training through YAF’s Campus Bias Tip Line. Collins plans to file an official complaint about the segregated caucuses with the Department of Education. “DU’s use of race-based groups is inequitable, discriminatory, and disturbing,” Collins told YAF. “This divisive behavior and rhetoric is unacceptable, and hardly ‘progressive.’” This follows a series of reports YAF has published regarding schools segregating students on the basis of race––at the University of California Davis and University of Kentucky, administrators hosted mandatory segregated Resident Assistant training. UK eventually backtracked after YAF’s reporting, admitting the trainings “should not have happened” and vowed to reform future trainings. YAF also reported on segregated post-election “listening sessions” at the University of Buffalo. The Department of Education is currently investigating the University of Kentucky training for potential civil rights violations. University of Denver did not respond to YAF’s questions on if the school is concerned about a similar federal investigation.

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