The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the medical schools of UCLA, UC Davis, and UC San Diego for alleged racial discrimination in their admissions processes. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has stated that the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine is accused of "blatant" race-based admissions practices and that such actions are a "betrayal of California voters –– and state and federal law."
According to Dhillon, federal probes have led to similar allegations against UCLA and UC Davis medical schools. The Department of Justice has indicated that federal lawsuits could follow if the institutions do not comply voluntarily with the law. Dhillon characterized the alleged practices as "brazen –– and perhaps systematic –– illegality."
At UCSD, officials reportedly used indirect data, such as questions about hardship, to infer applicants' race. Dhillon claims this led to preferential treatment for Black and Hispanic applicants over white and Asian applicants, resulting in admission rates for Black applicants that were more than double those for white applicants.
These alleged practices run counter to California's Proposition 209, approved by voters in 1996, which prohibits race-based preferences in public college admissions. Voters reaffirmed this stance in 2020 by rejecting Proposition 16, which would have repealed Proposition 209. Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2023 in the Students for Fair Admissions cases that race-based preferences in college admissions are discriminatory and unconstitutional. The University of California system's own policies also prohibit the use of race in admissions.
Dhillon criticized what she perceives as arrogance and disrespect for voters and the law by some UC officials who appear to prioritize ideology over legal mandates. She emphasized that racial discrimination is morally wrong regardless of the group targeted and that officials at UC medical schools should recognize this principle. The article suggests that if medical schools disregard the law in their admissions, their students, who will become doctors, might mirror that behavior.
UCSD has stated that it is "reviewing the findings" of the government investigation. The allegations come at a time when the legality and ethical implications of race-conscious admissions continue to be a subject of national debate and legal scrutiny.