The Center for Equal Opportunity, a conservative think tank, released two studies on diversity at UW-Madison late Monday night, saying in a press release it found evidence of ""severe discrimination"" in the university's undergraduate and law school admissions.
According to the release, the CEO study found evidence of discrimination based on race and ethnicity, saying the university gave preferential treatment to African-American and Latino students over white and Asian applicants.
""This is the most severe undergraduate admissions discrimination that CEO has ever found in the dozens of studies it has published over the last 15 years,"" CEO chairman Linda Chavez said in the release.
According to Chavez, the studies show ""literally hundreds"" of students have applied to UW-Madison undergraduate programs and been rejected in favor of students with lower test scores and grades because ""they have the wrong skin color or their parents came from the wrong countries.""
CEO will formally release its findings and answer questions at a press conference Tuesday.
Meanwhile, many campus students and officials have already spoken out against the study, and plan to protest the event Tuesday.
UW administrators quickly countered the CEO release with a press conference Monday night.
Vice Provost on Diversity and Climate Damon Williams called the CEO's study an ""attack,"" predicating the group will ""sensationalize the issue"" and ""pit students against each other"" before filing a lawsuit.
Williams said CEO is ""very right-wing"" and ""very aggressive,"" but urged students to stand together.
""Don't any of you have any fear,"" Williams said.
Historically, CEO has followed similar studies with legal action against universities under investigation. Although CEO has won several cases, the center's detractors accuse the organization of using misleading and flawed statistical methods and relying on false emotional appeals.
According to CEO's website, it believes many affirmative action and diversity programs constitute discrimination, and violate federal law.
