California sues over Trump demand for college race, test score and GPA admissions data

"This is the same administration, I'll remind you, that gutted the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, leaving thousands of civil rights complaints and investigations in limbo. This latest sham demand threatens to turn a reliable tool into a partisan bludgeon. California is committed to following the law - and we're going to court to make sure the Trump Administration does the same."

"Attorney General Rob Bonta is among the state attorneys general who filed the suit Wednesday against a Department of Education rule that asks colleges to submit "the race and sex of colleges' applicants, admitted students and enrolled students." Bonta called the requirement a "fishing expedition" that is "demanding unprecedented amounts of data from our colleges and universities under the guise of enforcing civil rights law.""

"The policy, announced in August, requires schools to submit disaggregated data on gender, race, grade point averages and test scores of applicants, admitted students and enrolled students by March 18."

California and 16 Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration policy requiring colleges to submit extensive admissions data including race, gender, grade point averages, and test scores by March 18. Attorney General Rob Bonta characterized the requirement as a "fishing expedition" demanding unprecedented data amounts under the guise of enforcing civil rights law. The states argue the policy jeopardizes student privacy and imposes an unreasonable deadline. The Trump administration contends the data collection ensures compliance with a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that banned race-based affirmative action in college admissions. Bonta criticized the administration for simultaneously gutting the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, leaving thousands of complaints unresolved.

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