The U.S. Department of Education announced a probe into Stanford University over alleged racial discrimination connected to a K–12 teacher certification support program. The investigation centers on Stanford’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Cohort, launched in 2022 with the California Teachers Association (CTA), and funded through grants from the CTA and the National Education Association. Defending Education, a conservative advocacy group, filed a civil rights complaint in March alleging the BIPOC Cohort violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by using race-linked eligibility criteria. A Stanford spokesperson said the program is being sunset and that the university is no longer accepting new teachers, and noted that a separate National Board Resource Center effort is open to all teachers pursuing National Board Certification. Stanford removed an eligibility page that previously required applicants to identify as a person of color, according to the complaint and probe summary. The Education Department’s assistant secretary for civil rights, Kimberly Richey, said in the announcement that if the allegations are true, Stanford would be “engaged in discrimination.” This case signals how federal civil-rights enforcement may intersect with educator-diversity initiatives and grant-funded program design—especially when program eligibility language or public-facing materials diverge from the broader stated mission.