On Monday, the Trump administration intensified its dispute with Harvard University by directing the Education Department and the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate the university’s law journal for its treatment of white contributors.

The probe will examine allegations that the Harvard Law Review evaluated membership and article publication based on race rather than merit—potentially violating civil rights laws that bar federally funded entities from engaging in racial discrimination, the Daily Wire reported.

“Harvard Law Review’s article selection process appears to pick winners and losers on the basis of race, employing a spoils system in which the race of the legal scholar is as, if not more, important than the merit of the submission,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor.

“Title VI’s demands are clear: recipients of federal financial assistance may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. No institution—no matter its pedigree, prestige, or wealth—is above the law. The Trump Administration will not allow Harvard, or any other recipients of federal funds, to trample on anyone’s civil rights,” Trainor added.

The Trump administration cited specific instances where a Harvard Law Review editor said it was “concerning” that four out of five individuals who wanted to reply to an article on police reform “are white men.”

Another example listed by the administration was an editor at the journal saying “that a piece should be subject to expedited review because the author was a minority.”

Anthony Archeval, the acting Director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights, stated that such actions could hinder students’ progress.

“Law journal membership and publication are crucial achievements that build momentum for law students’ careers and shape legal scholarship,” he said. “This investigation reflects the Administration’s common-sense understanding that these opportunities should be earned through merit-based standards and not race.”