“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,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division.
The finding represents the latest clash between the Trump administration and the Southern California institution since last year, after federal investigators focused on removing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives instituted in higher education.
“Racism in admissions is both illegal and anti-American, and this Department will not allow it to continue,” Dhillon said.
The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA defended its admission practices, stating that its process was “based on merit and grounded in a rigorous, comprehensive review of each applicant.”
“We are confident in our practices and our mission to maintain access to a high-quality education to all qualified students,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.
The medical school was reviewing the DOJ’s report and was “committed to providing equal opportunity to all applicants and fully complying with federal and state laws,” the spokesperson said.
Federal law authorizes the DOJ to conduct periodic compliance reviews and investigations of the practices and policies of institutions, such as UCLA, that receive federal funding.
The medical school allegedly used different academic metrics to discriminate against all racial groups except black and Hispanic applicants to accept more black and Hispanic applicants into its program, according to the DOJ.
If the DOJ determines that the institution cannot voluntarily change its practices to comply with federal law, the DOJ may seek enforcement through the courts, according to the letter.
In the lawsuit, the group also claimed that UCLA’s medical school has ignored federal law by discriminating against applicants based on race.
