--- title: "University of Maryland Lab Faces Civil Rights Complaint Over Race Bias Allegations" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/university-of-maryland-lab-faces-civil-rights-complaint-over-race-bias-allegatio" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/university-of-maryland-lab-faces-civil-rights-complaint-over-race-bias-allegatio" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/university-of-maryland-lab-faces-civil-rights-complaint-over-race-bias-allegatio.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/university-of-maryland-lab-faces-civil-rights-complaint-over-race-bias-allegatio" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-24T18:46:25.696Z" source_reported: "2026-09-24T17:56:30.000Z" updated: "2026-09-24T18:46:25.696Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 57 hype_score: 68 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-24T18:06:26.156Z" --- # University of Maryland Lab Faces Civil Rights Complaint Over Race Bias Allegations *The Equal Protection Project alleges the federally funded Lavender Lab uses race to determine access to research opportunities.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to named body, but relies on anonymous sourcing for some details. - Craft 57 of 100, higher is better. Reports are clear and hold together, but lack quotes from affected parties or opposing views. - Hype 68 of 100, lower is better. Headlines promise more than the body delivers, with loaded adjectives and manufactured urgency. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The Equal Protection Project filed a civil rights complaint against the University of Maryland's Lavender Lab. - The complaint alleges the lab uses race and ethnicity to determine access to research opportunities. - The Lavender Lab receives federal funding from the National Institutes of Health. - The complaint cites potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. The Equal Protection Project (EPP) has filed a civil rights complaint against the University of Maryland's Lavender Lab. The complaint alleges that the lab, which receives federal funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research on LGBTQ+ people and people of color, uses race and ethnicity to determine access to certain research-related opportunities. The EPP is requesting an investigation into potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. The Lavender Lab's work is described as being informed by intersectionality theory, social justice, and health equity. According to the complaint, the lab's research examines the combined effects of sexual-minority status, race, ethnicity, and what it terms 'structural oppression' on health outcomes. The EPP's complaint specifically points to the lab's LGBTQ+ Teens of Color Advisory Board, which reportedly sought teens who identify as both LGBTQ+ and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) for board positions. The complaint also targets the lab's research assistant program, noting that the lab encourages applications from traditionally marginalized backgrounds and gives strongest consideration to applicants with experience in LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities using cultural humility, intersectionality, and social justice approaches. ## Funding details The complaint cites that the Lavender Lab operates under a multi-million dollar grant from the NIH. NIH records indicate that the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provided an additional $695,192 for a specific project for fiscal year 2026. The complaint references approximately $3.6 million in total federal obligations and roughly $2.2 million in outlays for one of the lab's principal projects at the time of its filing. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports below mention any response or statement from the University of Maryland or the Lavender Lab regarding the civil rights complaint. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 100% (6) 0 of 6 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-24T18:06:26.156Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-24T20:30:59.385Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - Right-rated reports focused on the filing of the civil rights complaint and its allegations of race-based discrimination. Multiple outlets highlighted the specific amount of federal funding received by the lab, with several mentioning the $695,192 figure for fiscal year 2026 and linking it to the Trump administration. The reports emphasised the EPP's claim that the lab uses race and ethnicity to determine access to research opportunities and advisory board positions. The potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act were also a consistent focus. The wording used in the complaint, such as 'intersectionality-based' and 'race-bias,' was frequently included. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 2 - mixed: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [thedailybs.com](https://thedailybs.com/2026/09/24/nih-lavender-lab-for-lgbtq-based-studies-hit-with-race-bias-complaint-after-getting-nearly-700k-under-trump) — NIH ‘Lavender Lab’ for LGBTQ-based studies hit with race-bias complaint after getting nearly $700K under Trump - The Daily Bo Snerdley - [wfmd.com](https://wfmd.com/2026/09/24/top-public-universitys-lgbtq-lab-hit-with-race-bias-complaint-amid-700k-in-trump-era-federal-funding) — Top public university’s ‘LGBTQ+ lab’ hit with race-bias complaint amid $700K in Trump-era federal funding - [Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion](https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/09/investigate-federally-funded-intersectionality-based-u-maryland-lavender-lab-equal-protection-project-civil-rights-complaint) — Investigate Federally-Funded Intersectionality-Based U. Maryland 'Lavender Lab' – Equal Protection Project Civil Rights Complaint - [Next News Network](https://nextnewsnetwork.com/2026/09/24/exposed-university-of-marylands-lgbtq-lab-under-fire-for-racial-discrimination-c-mufne9h9) — EXPOSED: University of Maryland's ‘LGBTQ+ Lab’ Under Fire for RACIAL DISCRIMINATION Complaint Amid Trump-era Funding - [nytimespost.com](https://nytimespost.com/top-public-universitys-lgbtq-lab-hit-with-race-bias-complaint-amid-700k-in-trump-era-federal-funding) — Top public university’s ‘LGBTQ+ lab’ hit with race-bias complaint amid $700K in Trump-era federal funding - NEW YORK TIMES POST - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/politics/top-public-university-lgbtq-lab-hit-race-bias-complaint-amid-700k-trump-era-federal-funding) — Top public university’s ‘LGBTQ+ lab’ hit with race-bias complaint amid $700K in Trump-era federal funding ## Questions **What is the Lavender Lab?** The Lavender Lab is a research lab at the University of Maryland that receives federal funding from the National Institutes of Health. Its research focuses on health outcomes among LGBTQ+ people and people of color, examining factors like sexual-minority status, race, ethnicity, and structural oppression. **What is the civil rights complaint about?** The Equal Protection Project filed a complaint alleging that the Lavender Lab uses race and ethnicity to determine access to some research-related opportunities and advisory board positions. This is alleged to be in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. **How much federal funding has the lab received?** The Lavender Lab operates under a multi-million dollar grant from the NIH. One specific project received an additional $695,192 in federal funding for fiscal year 2026, and the complaint references approximately $3.6 million in total federal obligations for one of its projects. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/university-of-maryland-lab-faces-civil-rights-complaint-over-race-bias-allegatio. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "University of Maryland Lab Faces Civil Rights Complaint Over Race Bias Allegations", https://mediabias.news/politics/university-of-maryland-lab-faces-civil-rights-complaint-over-race-bias-allegatio