DOJ: Yale Medical School Violated Race-Based Admissions Ban

"The Justice Department on Thursday accused the Yale School of Medicine of circumventing the Supreme Court ban on race in admissions by using racial proxies to select applicants. The finding is the result of a yearlong investigation into the medical school's admissions policies and practices, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a news release. Yale's admissions data "demonstrate that Black and Hispanic students have a much higher chance of admission to Yale than White or Asian students with the same test scores," department officials wrote."

"It's unclear what consequences the department will impose on Yale as a result of the finding. The school received nearly $680 million from the National Institutes of Health in fiscal year 2025, Bloomberg reported. "Yale has continued its race-based admissions program despite the Supreme Court and the public's clear mandate for reform," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in the news release. "This Department will continue to shed light on these illegal practices, and demand that institutions of higher education comply with federal law.""

"The Trump administration appears to be targeting medical schools in particular; last week the DOJ claimed the UCLA medical school also discriminated in admissions based on race. In addition, the Justice Department is investigating admissions practices at the medical schools of Stanford University, Ohio State University and the University of California, San Diego."

The Justice Department accused Yale School of Medicine of circumventing a Supreme Court ban on race in admissions by using racial proxies to select applicants. A yearlong investigation examined admissions policies and practices. The Justice Department stated that Yale’s admissions data show Black and Hispanic students have a higher chance of admission than White or Asian students with the same test scores. The department did not specify what consequences would follow. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said Yale continued a race-based admissions program despite the Supreme Court and public calls for reform, and that the department would demand compliance with federal law. The Trump administration has also made similar claims involving other medical schools, including UCLA, and is investigating Stanford, Ohio State, and the University of California, San Diego.

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