NYU Langone Health is facing pressure from in-house lawyers to omit phrases like “diverse students” and “systemic racism” from its website as President Donald Trump rolls back diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the country, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
In a PowerPoint presentation to a group of NYU Langone staff and administrators, legal counsel at the medical center proposed changes to its website and policy statements and advised that it eliminate “trigger words,” including “marginalized” or “vulnerable,” to evade potential investigation or cuts to federal funding. Lawyers suggested that NYU Langone instead include more references to “opportunity” and “equal access,” in line with the Trump administration’s assertion that DEI programs at universities and hospitals violate the Civil Rights Act and constitute “illegal discrimination.”
Around the time that the PowerPoint circulated, NYU Langone added a disclaimer below its institutional DEI statement that its programs “do not include preferences, quotas, or set asides, or otherwise exclude anyone based on race, sex, or other protected categories.” Other language in the statement, including a reference to “explicit commitment to stand against systemic racism,” has not changed.
Steve Ritea, a spokesperson for NYU Langone, did not specify which programs or policy statements would be altered.
“We are reviewing our policies and programs and how they are represented on websites to ensure compliance with federal non-discrimination laws,” Ritea said in a statement to WSN. “We remain committed to ensuring that our institution welcomes and cares for people from all communities and backgrounds.”
NYU Langone’s lawyers insinuated that the medical center could come under fire for taking measures to hire a diverse staff or deliberately supporting minority-owned businesses, according to The Times’ report. The article cited an executive order stipulating that federal agencies should find ways to combat DEI programs and values that Trump claims constitute discrimination.
Carla Sampson, director of the NYU Wagner Health Policy and Management program, said in an interview with WSN that changing the wording in DEI programs or related statements is critical for preserving their efforts in the long run. Sampson said that compared to potential budget cuts that would affect NYU Langone’s capacity to offer free tuition for medical students and other equity-based programming, omitting specific words would have a minimal impact.
“If we just keep holding on to a name, what’s at stake is a lot of funding that’s really critical for an academic medical center,” Sampson said. “With the small name change, we can keep true to the bigger goal.”
Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services launched investigations into four unnamed medical schools and hospitals for violating Trump’s executive order denouncing DEI programs. While there has not been additional information regarding what the investigations will entail, several hospitals have braced for scrutiny by revising policies and eliminating DEI positions.
In February, NYU Langone reportedly denied gender-affirming care to at least two patients under the age of 19 following Trump’s executive order directing institutions that receive federal funding to halt related treatments. The decision was met with backlash from students, staff and transgender rights activists across the city, as well as New York City politicians like Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Attorney General Leitia James, who condemned the medical center for withholding gender-affirming care.
Last week, NYU was listed among 52 U.S. colleges targeted by the Department of Education — currently under threat of closure — for partnering with a nonprofit that aims to increase diversity in Ph.D. business programs.
Spokespeople for NYU and NYU Langone did not respond to requests for comment regarding the university’s relationship with the medical center.
Contact Dharma Niles and Yezen Saadah at [email protected].
