California — The U.S. Justice Department announced Monday that it found the University of California San Diego School of Medicine violated federal civil rights law by considering race in its admissions process.
The department’s Civil Rights Division said the medical school used subjective admissions criteria and applicant data to increase the number of Black and Hispanic students receiving interviews. Federal officials contend the practices violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling restricting race-conscious college admissions.
“Rather than rely on MCAT scores or GPA, San Diego Med’s shadow application process unlawfully judged applicants for admission based on their race,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in the department’s announcement. “San Diego Med’s blatant efforts to prioritize race are illegal, and we will end these practices.”
According to the Justice Department, admissions personnel divided applicants into groups based on grades, Medical College Admission Test scores and responses to questions about hardships they had overcome. Applicants were then placed into smaller batches and evaluated for interviews.
The department alleged that the school used hardship responses as a proxy for identifying applicants from racial groups considered underrepresented in medicine. It also said reviewers could see applicants’ race during portions of the selection process in some admissions cycles following the Supreme Court decision.
Federal investigators concluded that the system increased the likelihood that Black and Hispanic applicants would receive interviews. The department further alleged that some white and Asian applicants were rejected in favor of Black and Hispanic applicants with lower academic credentials.
Those conclusions represent the Justice Department’s findings and allegations. The announcement did not include a response from UC San Diego or provide enrollment records, applicant-level data or other evidence allowing an independent comparison of admitted students’ qualifications.
The Supreme Court ruled in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard that universities receiving federal funding generally cannot consider an applicant’s race as a factor in admissions. The ruling allows schools to consider how an applicant’s individual experiences, including experiences involving race, affected that person’s character or accomplishments, but prohibits using essays or other criteria to recreate racial preferences indirectly.
Because UC San Diego receives federal financial assistance, its medical school is subject to Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin.
The Justice Department said it is pursuing settlement negotiations to bring the medical school’s admissions practices into compliance. If the parties cannot reach an agreement, the department said it could file a lawsuit.
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