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CasteFiles files Title VI complaint against Rutgers University
Hindu students at Rutgers have also voiced concerns, writing to university leadership about what they describe as Professor Truschke's "continued actions" that undermine the principles of diversity and inclusion.
Professor Audrey Truschke. / Courtesy/CasteFiles
CasteFiles, an advocacy think tank focused on civil rights, has filed a Title VI complaint against Rutgers University and Professor Audrey Truschke, accusing the university of failing to protect students from harassment and discrimination, as mandated by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The complaint comes in response to a report titled “Caste Based Discrimination in U.S. Higher Education at Rutgers,” recently released by a Rutgers University task force co-chaired by Professor Truschke. CasteFiles argues that the report perpetuates an "unscientific and unproven narrative" of caste discrimination, relying on what it describes as "flimsy anecdotal hearsay."
“The task force admits that there is no systematic data at Rutgers, in New Jersey, or across the U.S. to prove that Hindu Americans discriminate based on caste,” said Richa Gautam, Founder of CasteFiles. She questioned why Rutgers would release a report based on such weak evidence, especially given the university's large population of Indian-origin students.
Abhijit Bagal, Director of CasteFiles, highlighted Rutgers' history of failing to protect its students, citing several recent complaints and lawsuits against the university. These include federal civil rights complaints concerning antisemitic and anti-Palestinian discrimination, as well as a civil action lawsuit filed by a Jewish student at Rutgers.
Hindu students at Rutgers have also voiced concerns, writing to university leadership about what they describe as Professor Truschke's "continued actions" that undermine the principles of diversity and inclusion. Despite these complaints, Rutgers made Professor Truschke co-chair of the caste task force, a move that CasteFiles believes demonstrates the university's "apathy" towards its Hindu students.
CasteFiles is calling on Rutgers University to take immediate action to protect all students from discrimination and harassment and to uphold the values of diversity and inclusion as intended by the Civil Rights Act.
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