The Kent State Vocal Intensity A Cappella group restricted certain solos strictly to ‘people of color’ over ‘cultural appropriation’ concerns.
Emails show a Kent State student disciplined after opposing race-based solo policy.
It sounds like an illegal race-based policy.
Campus Reform:
Mark Phillips, a three-year member and the a cappella group’s beatboxer, contacted a board member to inquire about how the exclusion of white students aligned with Kent State’s anti-discrimination policies. Phillips suggested the limitation seemed “at odds with equal opportunity” in his message to the executive board.
“I fully respect concerns about authenticity, but I also believe that whoever gives the strongest performance should be given the chance,” he wrote. “Art, music, and culture are meant to be shared and celebrated, not gatekept.”
In response, the board accused him of violating the university’s anti-discrimination policy, placed him on probation, and scheduled a disciplinary hearing requiring him to “plead his case” before the entire group.
Literally a gross violation of their civil rights. https://t.co/cSnjSF3EQ1
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) December 7, 2025
The DoJ Civil Rights Division is on it:
🚨 BREAKING: Trump DOJ’s Harmeet Dhillon just launched a full Civil Rights probe into Kent State University for straight-up BANNING white students from auditioning for solos, calling it “cultural appropriation.”
Racist segregation is back… but only when it targets whites? This… pic.twitter.com/of74rfJ626
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) December 6, 2025
