DOJ accuses the University of California School of Medicine of racial discrimination in its admissions process

The Department of Justice (DOJ) accused the University of California Davis School of Medicine of racial discrimination during the admissions process for new students.

In a statement, the DOJ reported that, after months of investigating the school, the institution is "violating the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA)."

"Davis Med’s actions reflect both unabashed contempt for the rule of law and plain disregard for the potential public health consequences of putting race over merit, skill, and competence," said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.

"The Department will not allow schools to violate federal law without consequence," she added.

The investigation uncovered evidence showing that leaders at the University of California School of Medicine "openly boasted of skirting the Supreme Court’s ruling by using certain class-based socioeconomic variables or disadvantages as proxies for race."

To favor certain students, the school created the Davis Scale, which it used to rank these perceived "disadvantages." The analysis revealed that "Black and Hispanic applicants were admitted at rates up to six times higher than whites and Asians, despite consistently having, on average, lower academic qualifications."

The university rejects the allegations

The University of California School of Medicine issued a statement

"UC Davis School of Medicine strongly disagrees with any characterization of its admissions practices as discriminatory or inconsistent with applicable law," it stated. "The report's findings do not accurately reflect the school's rigorous, individualized, and merit-based admissions process and our firm commitment to complying with applicable federal and state antidiscrimination laws."