According to a spokeswoman for Maryland’s governor, Martin O’Malley, representatives and attorneys for the historically black colleges and universities within the state will be sitting down with state officials in mediation to resolve legal disputes and complaints stemming from segregationist policies.  U.S. District Court Judge Paul W. Grimm will mediate the dispute. 

The complaints stem from an observation made by U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake regarding programs offered within the state’s four historically black institutions.  Judge Blake’s opinion came after plaintiffs represented by Michael Jones filed a lawsuit on behalf of Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State and University of Maryland Eastern Shore.  According to the lawsuit, duplication of the programs pulled students away from the historically black institutions and in doing so, violated the Constitutional rights of the students there. 

"I think it's fair to say that the state is giving mixed signals, because while they are agreeing to go to mediation, they've also indicated that they would like to go through with an appeal as well," said Jones.  He also reiterated that if mediation is to be successful, the state would need to show that they are willing to develop a framework that improves the situation. 

In Blake’s opinion—one that spanned 60 pages of writing—the specialty programs offered by the historically black colleges were duplicated by traditionally white colleges within the state.  According to Blake, this was a form of “separate but equal” and a practice that encouraged segregation on state campuses.  A spokesperson for Governor O’Malley responded to the opinion in saying, "We respectfully disagree with the court's conclusions regarding duplication."