Grand Canyon University president says he’ll keep fighting against FTC, DOE allegations

PHOENIX — Grand Canyon University President Brian Mueller said he will keep fighting federal agencies in court during a Monday interview.

He joined KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show after the Arizona State Approving Agency (SAA) said its audit of the university found no evidence of wrongdoing.

“They did a very, very thorough investigation,” Mueller said.

The SAA, which reports to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, audited GCU after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued the university over allegations of deceptive advertising.

In response to the lawsuit, the SAA looked over GCU’s doctoral disclosures and processes.

“They said, ‘Zero findings. Not a single one. Not one,'” Mueller said. “That’s very hard to do if you’ve ever been through those kinds of program reviews.”

In addition to the FTC lawsuit, GCU is also facing a $37.7 million fine from the Department of Education (DOE). GCU leaders have disputed and appealed the fine. That appeal is now going through an internal department review.

Mueller doesn’t have faith it will go well since the same people who issued the fine will be reviewing the appeal. In case of a rejection, GCU will appeal to the U.S. Secretary of Education or even the Supreme Court.

Grand Canyon University president explains how this impacts Arizona

“We’ve got these federal agencies that are clearly weaponizing their powers,” Mueller said.

Federal officials are unfairly targeting GCU because of its Christian status, he added.

“The hunger for people in this country to have their young people learn about the world in the context of the Christian worldview, perspective, in a conservative values orientation, there’s no limit to it,” he said.

Mueller added that the federal government wants to limit people’s educational opportunities.

“The federal agencies respond to us the way they respond to charter schools and other private options,” he said.

As long as there’s a legal process available, GCU will fight back, he added.

“It’s a microcosm of what’s going in a greater way in the country,” Mueller said. “Unfortunately, it has to be us. But we’re getting a tremendous amount of people saying, ‘We’re glad you’re fighting because it’s you today, but it could be us tomorrow.'”