IAMC welcomes Rutgers University’s affirmation that caste falls under protected class categories

Washington, D.C. (January 14, 2025) – The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) today applauded Rutgers University for affirming that caste falls under protected class categories within the school’s policy and for committing to additional steps to monitor and address caste discrimination among students and faculty. 

The caste system, as defined by the Dalit-led civil rights group Equality Labs, “consists of graded levels of alleged purity and places people within a certain hierarchy—leaving those in the lowest tier, called ‘Dalit’ or ‘untouchable,’ subject to abuse, attacks, and systemic social exclusion.” Caste is the oldest form of social hierarchy in the world and continues to be upheld in the United States, with American Hindu supremacist groups leading the opposition against nationwide attempts to make caste a protected category.

In a statement released on January 13, the university pledged to “communicate through appropriate venues, including the Office of Employment Equity website, to make clear that current university policy covers potential caste-based discrimination.” Additionally, the university announced the planned inclusion of questions on caste discrimination in its annual campus climate survey, in an effort to better inform future training and communication. 

“IAMC lauds Rutgers University’s willingness to act on concerns presented by students and faculty who have reported facing caste-based discrimination,” said IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed. “Going forward, we encourage the university to continue to heed the advice of experts and further seek to amend university policy to make caste a protected category in its own right.”

To learn more about caste-based discrimination in education and beyond, see Equality Labs’ report on Caste in the United States.