McDonald’s has been sued by a Conservative activist named Edward Blum over the accusation that a longtime scholarship program run by the restaurant giant that specifically aims to help members of the Hispanic community.
American activist Edward Blum launched the legal attack just one week after McDonald’s quietly ended many of their core diversity programs, a move that has been replicated by many companies in the United States following the recent election of President Donald Trump.
The ‘Hacer National Scholarship’ is a program that has dedicated over $33 Million to Hispanic students across the United States. The scholarship awards 30 students each year with the necessary resources to advance their education.
The scholarship program has been in existence since 1985. Over 17,000 individual students have been assisted by the private scholarship fund. Donors to the fund range in contribution level from $5,000 to over $100,000.
Edward Blum, who launched the legal action against McDonald’s in Nashville, leads an organization called ‘The American Alliance For Equal Rights,’ which he successfully used to sue both Harvard University and the University of North Carolina for having what he called discriminatory practices within their admissions process.
The conservative activist was successful in pursuing legal action against both Harvard and the University of North Carolina when the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Blum, striking down Affirmative Action in universities across the United States.
Blum alleges that the ‘Hacer National Scholarship’ is discriminatory in its nature. His organization has highlighted the requirements posted by the scholarship that all applicants must have one parents of “Hispanic or Latino descent” in order to qualify for the funds.
The lawsuit states,
“So non-Hispanics—including non-Hispanics with severe financial need and racial minorities like blacks, Arabs, and Native Americans—are flatly barred based on their ethnic heritage. This kind of discrimination was never lawful.”
McDonald’s has responded to the lawsuit in a public statement, saying,
“McDonald’s announced its evolution on our inclusion work last week, and part of that process will be reviewing programs, in partnership with our franchisees as applicable, to ensure these programs align with our vision moving forward”
The lawsuit asks for a preliminary injunction on behalf of a lone Arkansas high school student who wishes to apply for the scholarship, but is not of Hispanic descent. The request for the preliminary injunction is based off of the publicly stated deadline for applicants and donors of February 6th, 2025.
McDonald’s released a letter on January 6th, 2025 stating their intentions to reform many of their diversity policies while also highlighting their commit to maintain equal opportunity employment for all who work for the company.
A Slingshot News investigation into the subject found that there are hundreds to thousands of ethnicity-based scholarships currently operating in the United States, all of which could potentially come under fire if Blum is once again successful in his attempt to challenge his interpretation of racial prejudice.
