UC San Diego\u2019s medical school illegally used race in choosing which students to admit, discriminating against white and Asian applicants in favor of Black and Latino ones, the U.S. Department of Justice alleged Monday.<\/p>\n
The findings follow a roughly four-month investigation by the DOJ and makes the University of California, San Diego the latest medical school targeted by the Trump administration in a widening effort to root out what it alleges are widespread race-based admissions, a campaign that has focused heavily on California universities. <\/p>\n
It follows similar actions against Stanford, UCLA and UC Davis, and escalates a legal conflict that could cost the UC system hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding if the two sides cannot reach an agreement.<\/p>\n
In the findings announced by its Civil Rights Division, the Justice Department said the medical school violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars schools that receive federal money from discriminating based on race. The department said the school also went against the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s 2023 ruling on affirmative action, which barred colleges from considering race in admissions.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than rely on MCAT scores or GPA, San Diego Med\u2019s shadow application process unlawfully judged applicants for admission based on their race,\u201d Asst. Atty. Gen. Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement. \u201cSan Diego Med\u2019s blatant efforts to prioritize race are illegal, and we will end these practices.\u201d<\/p>\n
The department said it wants to reach a voluntary agreement with the university to change its admissions practices, and said it will sue if those talks fail. Medical schools depend heavily on federal money. The National Institutes of Health, for example, awarded out about $427 million in federal research funds to UC San Diego last year.<\/p>\n
A UC San Diego spokesperson said the university is reviewing the findings.<\/p>\n
The medical school \u201cis proud to produce some of the highest-performing physicians and researchers in the nation,\u201d the spokesperson said, adding that all applicants to the medical program \u201cmust meet strict academic thresholds, a requirement that is and was applied uniformly to all applicants.\u201d <\/p>\n
The university \u201cremains committed to full compliance with federal law\u201d and \u201cwelcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively and constructively with the federal government to affirm that commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n