Metro East Sun

Ray Wesley, chairman of Madison County Republicans, said that the Trump administration is holding universities like Northwestern accountable for prioritizing student success based on merit and character. He made this statement to Metro East Sun on April 15.

"The Trump administration is pushing universities like Northwestern to focus on student success through merit, character, and accomplishments rather than racial considerations," said Wesley. "This approach aims to cultivate a more inclusive and fair educational system where all students can excel. By reinforcing these ideals, the administration is championing a higher education environment that embraces individual potential and diverse perspectives. President Trump is working toward creating more equal academic opportunities for all students."

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Trump administration has frozen approximately $790 million in federal funding for Northwestern University as part of civil rights investigations. This action is taken alongside a suspension of over $1 billion for Cornell University. The funding freeze affects grants and contracts from various federal departments. Northwestern is currently under investigation by the Department of Education for widespread antisemitic harassment and by Congress regarding its law school’s legal clinics potentially engaging in political advocacy. The university has indicated it has not received official notification but has fully cooperated with the investigations.

In a March 14 post on its website, the Department of Education outlined its Title VI investigations into several universities. The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened investigations into 45 universities for allegedly violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by using racial preferences in graduate programs. OCR is also investigating six universities for race-based scholarships and one for racial segregation in programs. These investigations aim to ensure compliance with civil rights law, emphasizing that student merit should not be prejudged by race. Violations could lead to the loss of federal funding.

Wesley was first elected Chairman of the Madison County Republican Party in October 2019. He focuses on communicating the Republican Party’s conservative values and addressing issues important to Madison County voters. His primary responsibilities include fundraising, growing party membership, and boosting voter turnout. Wesley and his wife reside in Godfrey.