UCLA Med School Accused of Racial Discrimination in Admissions

"UCLA's admissions process has been focused on racial demographics at the expense of merit and excellence-allowing racial politics to distract the school from the vital work of training great doctors. Racism in admissions is both illegal and anti-American, and this department will not allow it to continue."

"The findings, outlined in a seven-page letter, mark the first time that the Justice Department has publicly claimed that a university discriminated based on race during the admissions process. But the Trump administration has opened a number of investigations into the issue as part of its ramped-up enforcement of the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and the University of North Carolina, which banned race-conscious admissions policies."

"Admissions experts have argued that the Trump administration's interpretation of the court's ruling, as articulated in anti-DEI guidance the DOJ released last year, goes well beyond the intentions of the court. They probably have their vision of what they think compliance with SFFA is, but that's not what SFFA actually says."

The Justice Department released findings from a yearlong investigation alleging that UCLA's medical school gave preference to Black and Hispanic applicants over the last three admissions cycles, violating federal law and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. This marks the first time the Justice Department has publicly claimed university discrimination based on race in admissions. The Trump administration has intensified enforcement of the Supreme Court's decision banning race-conscious admissions policies, opening multiple investigations and demanding years of application data from colleges. Justice Department officials argue that prioritizing racial demographics undermines merit and excellence in medical training. However, admissions experts contend the administration's interpretation of the court ruling extends beyond the court's actual intentions.

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