UIC under federal investigation for discrimination by Education Department

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The University of Illinois - Chicago is now under federal investigation for alleged discrimination.

The U.S. Department of Education is looking at more than a dozen schools as a part of the Biden Administration's efforts to take action against a rise in reports of antisemitism, anti-Muslim and anti-Arab incidents on college campuses nationwide.

The department has not said what type of alleged discrimination has been happening at these schools.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was added to the list of schools a few weeks ago. Other newly added schools include Springfield, IL Public Schools District 186, MNIT, UC Davis and Drexel University.

In a statement, UIC said: "The university strives to be a place where everyone feels welcome and where all people - no matter what color, race, ancestry, age, sex, interests, sexual orientation including gender identity, religion, disability, national origin, or marital status - can share perspectives and viewpoints to learn from one another. We care deeply about all members of our community, and we are committed to maintaining a campus climate that respects and advances tolerance, inclusion and diversity. To maintain a fair and impartial process, the university refrains from commenting on matters related to ongoing investigations, including those initiated by the OCR. We take all allegations of civil rights violations seriously and will fully cooperate with any inquiries that may arise from a complaint."