White biologist sues Cornell, alleging illegal race-based hiring

Lawsuit claims the university avoided a competitive search and excluded White candidates for a faculty position.

Published on Jan. 29, 2026

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A biologist has filed a lawsuit against Cornell University alleging the Ivy League school used unlawful race-based hiring practices and intentionally discriminated against qualified White candidates by refusing to consider them for a faculty position. The lawsuit claims Cornell violated federal law when it sought to fill the position several years ago, citing emails that allegedly said the department would invite only 'underrepresented minority scholars' and avoid a competitive search.

Why it matters

The case follows the Supreme Court's recent ruling against race-conscious college admissions and raises questions about the legality of diversity hiring practices in higher education. It comes as the Trump administration has pushed to end diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at colleges and universities.

The details

The lawsuit was filed by evolutionary biologist Colin Wright, who was a postdoctoral researcher at Pennsylvania State University at the time. Wright said he was well qualified for the tenure-track position at Cornell but did not learn of the opening until last year, when whistleblowers released emails allegedly showing the department planned to approach candidates one at a time until one accepted. The lawsuit cites Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and claims Wright was more qualified than the person who was hired, losing out on at least $700,000 in salary.

  • In December 2020, emails from Cornell's Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department allegedly said the department would invite 'underrepresented minority scholars' and avoid a competitive search to make a 'diversity hire'.
  • In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious college admissions amounted to unconstitutional discrimination in the case of Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.
  • In November 2026, Cornell reached a $60 million agreement with the Trump administration to restore frozen federal research funding and close investigations, agreeing to comply with federal civil rights law.

The players

Colin Wright

An evolutionary biologist who was a postdoctoral researcher at Pennsylvania State University at the time and is the plaintiff in the lawsuit against Cornell University.

Cornell University

The Ivy League school that is being sued by Colin Wright for allegedly using unlawful race-based hiring practices.

America First Policy Institute

The conservative think tank with close ties to the Trump administration that brought the case against Cornell University on behalf of Colin Wright.

Leigh Ann O'Neill

The chief legal affairs officer at the America First Policy Institute.

Kenji Yoshino

A law professor at New York University who co-wrote a forthcoming book on how to push back against attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion.

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What they’re saying

“In this case, we're asking the court to uphold that same principle when making hiring decisions.”

— Leigh Ann O'Neill, Chief Legal Affairs Officer, America First Policy Institute

“Cornell's practices didn't just cost me a job; unknown numbers of other qualified candidates were also robbed of the chance to even be considered.”

— Colin Wright

“Universities are risk-averse, so they will stop doing it.”

— Kenji Yoshino, Law Professor, New York University

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on whether to allow the lawsuit to proceed.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing legal and political debates around diversity hiring practices in higher education, with the Supreme Court's recent ruling against race-conscious admissions policies likely to influence how universities approach faculty hiring going forward.