The University of Minnesota announced it will shut down its Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity by the end of May, following revelations that the center’s founder engaged in questionable research practices and apparent plagiarism. The decision comes just weeks after the center’s director, Rachel Hardeman, resigned under growing scrutiny.
Hardeman, once celebrated in progressive academic circles for her work linking racism to health outcomes, left her post in April amid damning evidence that her research omitted key data and manipulated findings to support politically driven conclusions. Her resignation triggered a wave of backlash that led the university to quietly announce the center’s closure on May 30.
The Daily Caller News Foundation played a central role in uncovering the truth. A 2024 investigation revealed that Hardeman had coauthored a study that selectively left out information weakening her premise—that systemic racism was solely responsible for negative medical outcomes among minorities. Notes from her coauthor, Brad N. Greenwood, suggested that data which “undermines the narrative” was intentionally excluded.
The university’s move to shutter the center marks a significant turn in the national backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs—especially those operating without transparency or accountability. The Center for Antiracism Research had received public funds and operated under the banner of fighting racial injustice in healthcare. But critics say it was little more than a politically motivated project built on shaky science.
“This is a win for truth in academia,” one UMN faculty member told the Daily Caller on condition of anonymity. “We’ve been told for years not to question anything labeled ‘antiracist.’ This scandal proves why critical inquiry matters more than ideological orthodoxy.”
Hardeman’s fall from grace reflects a growing unease across the country with DEI bureaucracies embedded in higher education. Once viewed as untouchable, these initiatives are now under a microscope as Republican governors, lawmakers, and watchdog groups demand audits, transparency, and in some cases, outright bans.
The University of Minnesota has not issued a public apology for the center’s conduct, but it did confirm the closure in a statement to MPR News. Officials have not indicated whether any of Hardeman’s past research will be reviewed or retracted in light of the allegations.
Critics say that’s not enough.
“Taxpayer-funded institutions should not be allowed to peddle ideological junk science and get away with it,” one education policy analyst said. “If a conservative professor had manipulated data to support a different narrative, they’d have been fired, shamed, and blacklisted. This double standard has to end.”
Hardeman was a rising star in left-wing academic circles and received national attention for her work. Her downfall is now being viewed as a cautionary tale of what happens when ideology overtakes evidence, and universities prioritize politics over intellectual integrity.
As more institutions across the country reassess their DEI initiatives, the collapse of this high-profile “antiracism” center may be just the beginning. The American public is waking up—and demanding that truth, not narrative, guide the future of education.
