Court Rules Jury Must Decide if University's Hiring Process Was Tainted by Diversity Goals

HR Dive · United States · Sep 11, 2026

A federal district court in New York ruled that a White former associate director at Rochester Institute of Technology can proceed to trial on race discrimination claims after alleging RIT bypassed her for a director role in favor of a Black external candidate using race-based criteria. The court found disputed facts around whether RIT deviated from standard hiring procedures by incorporating 'diversity metrics' into candidate screenings and whether a VP's comment referencing race constituted evidence of discriminatory intent. The ruling underscores growing legal scrutiny of DEI-influenced hiring processes and adds to a pattern of courts finding potential merit in reverse discrimination claims. Staffing agencies and employers should note that diversity-conscious hiring policies, while not inherently unlawful, can become legally vulnerable when procedural deviations suggest race was a deciding factor.