Under the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden, Christian educational institutions operating in the United States have faced a significant increase in fines and penalties applied by the Department of Education.
A report released in November by the conservative organization American Principles Project (APP) points out that the department’s Office of Oversight was used by the government to disproportionately direct its actions against Christian colleges and universities that do not endorse or allow the imposition of Woke policies in their campuses. The report details that these institutions were targets of around 70% of the penalties imposed by the Department of Education during the Democratic administration, even though they currently represent less than 10% of university students in the country.
“Since taking office, the administration (of Biden and his vice president, Kamala Harris) has conducted an unprecedented attack on Christian colleges, universities and students, while systematically protecting ‘elitist’ public and private institutions that impose woke ideologies on students reluctant and allows anti-Semitic and violent protests on campuses across the country,” the document says.
Among the most prominent cases is the US$37.7 million fine that was imposed against Grand Canyon University (GCU), located in Arizona, one of the most important private Christian universities in the country. The penalty was imposed on the institution for alleged failures to disclose the costs of its doctoral programs, which represent less than 5% of the university’s students. Another example cited in the report was the fine imposed against Liberty University, a private Baptist educational institution located in Virginia that suffered a penalty of US$14 million. According to APP, the fines are seen as part of a larger strategy by Biden’s Department of Education to limit the growth of these institutions.
According to the conservative organization, between 1980 and 2020, the number of students enrolled in Christian universities grew 82%, a pace 44% higher than the national average. This increase reflects families’ pursuit of an education based on more traditional values, in contrast to the progressive trends prevalent at many conventional, elite universities. For APP, the Democratic government sees this trend as a threat to the consolidation of its ideological agenda in higher education.
The APP points out that the growth of Christian institutions occurs at a time when many public and private universities are facing a drop in enrollment, which has intensified competition. In this context, the actions of the Biden administration’s Office of Oversight are seen by critics as an attempt to weaken the popularity and influence of Christian universities.
Grand Canyon University, accused of not adequately disclosing the costs of its doctoral programs, according to the report categorically refuted the accusations, pointing out that independent audits confirmed the “clarity and transparency of its information.” Liberty University was punished for alleged violations of a law that requires the disclosure of statistics on crimes committed on campus, the Clery Law. According to the APP, despite acknowledging minor administrative errors, the university highlighted that the penalties imposed were drastically more severe than those applied to other non-Christian institutions that committed more serious infractions.
The APP report cites that, “over the past 10 years, the US Department of Education has fined institutions nearly 75 times for violations of the Clery Act, totaling $27.5 million in penalties. Of these, 20, more than a quarter, were against Christian colleges and universities. The average fine imposed on a Christian institution was US$815,000, compared to US$228,500 for other public and private institutions.”
The role of the Inspection Office
According to the report, the Department of Education’s Office of Inspection, a division created during the Barack Obama administration, left aside during Donald Trump’s first administration, and which was reactivated by Biden, has played a central role in imposing these fines. The document points out that this unit was designed to investigate and punish educational institutions that do not align with the political priorities of the Democratic government, especially those that promote traditional or religious values.
The APP mentions that, during the Biden administration, the division had a 600% increase in its budget in 2023 alone, and had already requested an increase of more than 200% in its budget for the next year, which indicates , according to the organization, that the Office of Oversight intended to continue its escalation of the offensive against Christian institutions if the Democrats remained in the White House.
According to the APP report, the Biden government uses the argument of “protecting the student” to justify such fines, however, the White House has ignored similar problems that occur at other universities that are not Christian.
Data from the report shows that 59 of the 87 sanctions applied in total by the Office of Oversight were against Christian institutions. No university in the so-called Ivy League – which includes Yale, Harvard, Columbia University and Cornell, which promote progressive policies – was penalized.
Also according to the APP, the Office of Oversight’s strategy includes, in addition to imposing massive penalties, carrying out thorough investigations with the aim of cutting off Christian universities’ access to Title IV funds. These funds are essential for financial aid to U.S. students and are crucial to sustaining enrollment at private institutions.
Erosion of religious protections under Democratic administration
According to APP, during his government, Biden sanctioned several measures that served to weaken religious freedom in educational institutions. In 2023, the APP cites that Biden’s Department of Education revoked an executive order that required equal treatment for religious groups on universities. The measure had been implemented to promote equity among university students who were part of a religion, but was considered “onerous” by the current administration. The action mainly harmed Christian students.
Additionally, the Department of Education has issued guidance discouraging religious practices in public schools, such as group prayer, APP said in the report. These measures were criticized by conservative groups, who saw them as part of a larger government effort to promote a more progressive outlook in the classroom.
“For the past four years, Democrats have been busy instrumentalizing every part of the federal government to attack their opponents. While major attacks on agencies like the Department of Justice have gained more prominence, we should not ignore similarly corrupt efforts in other agencies. As we detail in our report, the Biden-Harris administration’s Department of Education has conducted a long-running scheme to punish Christian colleges that ideologically oppose the left’s agenda. The unfair persecution of these institutions has been egregious, and it must end immediately. “, he said Jon Schweppe, APP policy director, said in a statement.
Government response
In a statement to the portal The Christian Posta spokesperson for Biden’s Department of Education denied the allegations made by the APP report, stating that “a school’s religious affiliation or nonprofit status has no bearing on our enforcement actions.” The Department also accused the conservative organization of “distorting public data” to promote a “false narrative”.
The future under Trump
With the arrival of Donald Trump, who is expected to take command of the White House on January 20, 2025, there are expectations of significant changes in the Department of Education. During the campaign, Trump promised to reduce the federal government’s role in education, transferring more power to states and families. He also hinted at the possibility of closing the Department of Education, arguing that federal resources should follow students, not fuel a “radical bureaucracy.”
“During his first term, President Donald Trump gave the Office of Enforcement a low priority, and his next administration must eliminate it. APP looks forward to working with the Trump-Vance administration and Republican leaders to put an end to it, once and for all , to Democrats’ years-long campaign to control and eliminate faith-based universities,” Schweppe said.