mdhbcu copyNearly one year after closing arguments were submitted in the lawsuit brought against the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), a decision has been handed down by United States District Court Judge Catherine C. Blake.

In a 60-page opinion released Oct. 7, Blake found the state of Maryland in violation of the U.S. Constitution for operating a system of higher education still rooted in segregation.

The Coalition for Excellence and Equity in Higher Education initially filed their case against MHEC in October of 2006.

The suit claimed that programs of study first offered by historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were being duplicated at traditionally white institutions (TWIs), thus, diminishing their ability to attract and fully matriculate students- especially when coupled with a history of underfunding for Black schools. read more…