WASHINGTON (TNND) — More than 50 universities are being investigated by the Department of Education for "allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices," the department announced Friday.

The investigation comes nearly one month after public schools and colleges were warned to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies or risk federal funding.

"The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. "Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment."

The colleges under investigation have partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business with the goal of diversifying the business world.

However, department officials are accusing the group of limiting eligibility based on the race of participants.

The 45 colleges facing scrutiny for using the PhD Project include universities such as Arizona State, Ohio State and Rutgers, along with prestigious private schools like Yale, Cornell, Duke and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Six other colleges are being investigated for "allegedly awarding impermissible race-based scholarships" and another is accused of running "a program that segregates students on the basis of race."

Those seven are: Grand Valley State University, Ithaca College, the New England College of Optometry, the University of Alabama, the University of Minnesota, the University of South Florida and the University of Tulsa School of Medicine.

In the Feb. 14 letter, Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, alleged schools have "toxically indoctrinated students" with a "false premise" that the U.S. is built on "systemic and structural racism." He claimed supporters of DEI practices have used the DEI label to bring "racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness" into school programs, trainings and disciplinary methods.

The memo is being challenged in federal lawsuits from the nation’s two largest teachers’ unions. The suits say the memo is too vague and violates the free speech rights of educators.

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Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.