US justice department accuses Yale medical school of illegally using race in admissions

"In a letter to a lawyer for Yale, Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, said a justice department investigation found that Black and Hispanic students have a much higher chance of admission to the medical school than white or Asian students, despite having lower grade-point averages and lower test scores."

"Yale has continued its race-based admissions program despite the supreme court and the public's clear mandate for reform, Dhillon said in a statement. This department will continue to shed light on these illegal practices, and demand that institutions of higher education comply with federal law."

"The letter to Yale alleged the New Haven, Connecticut, school was violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination and said the justice department is seeking to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement with the university. She also noted in the letter that the agency has the authority to take the school to court to enforce Title VI if it cannot obtain compliance through voluntary means."

"Since Donald Trump returned to office last year, his administration has been putting pressure on universities to stop using race as a basis for admission, which conservatives view as illegal discrimination. And a US supreme court decision in 2023 banned the use of affirmative action in college admissions, in cases involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina."

The US Department of Justice accused Yale University of illegally considering race in admissions to its medical school. A federal investigation found that Black and Hispanic students had a higher chance of admission than white or Asian students, even though they had lower grade-point averages and lower test scores. The Justice Department said Yale continued a race-based admissions program despite Supreme Court rulings and public mandates for reform. The department alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and sought a voluntary resolution agreement. It also stated it could take the case to court if voluntary compliance was not achieved. The department recently notified UCLA of similar alleged conduct, and the Trump administration has increased pressure on universities to stop using race in admissions.

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