Penn State law school defends mandatory ‘antiracism’ class
- September 22, 2026
Micaiah Bilger, The College Fix
Penn State Dickinson Law defended a mandatory first-year class about “antiracism” recently after at least two students accused the school of political indoctrination.
The law school, which is public, has faced Congressional scrutiny and is the target of a civil rights complaint. Along with requiring the course “Race and the Equal Protection of the Laws,” it also runs an Antiracist Development Institute that works “to dismantle structures that support systemic racial inequality and intersectional injustice.”
“No changes are planned to 1L [first year] curriculum established for the 2026-2027 academic year,” including the controversial class, the law school told CBS News 21 in a statement last week.
“The law school also endeavors to provide an open and respectful learning environment for all who teach and study at Penn State Dickinson Law … one in which students are encouraged to explore and challenge differing perspectives,” it stated.
However, some students who have taken the class said the opposite.
One male student, who spoke to CBS 21 on the condition of anonymity, described it as “purely political.”
“They wanted to indoctrinate a new generation of more activist lawyers,” the student said, adding that the class teaches that the U.S. was “founded on white supremacist ideals.”
Earlier this year, the watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust also filed a civil rights complaint to several federal agencies accusing the law school of pushing diversity, equity, and inclusion and “institutional antiracism” in its curriculum, admissions, and hiring. It cited the school’s strategic plan as evidence.