DOJ accuses Yale medical school of discriminating against White, Asian applicants
The Justice Department on May 14 said the admissions policies of Yale University's medical school favored prospective Black and Hispanic students over White or Asian applicants.
The Yale School of Medicine is the second medical school the Trump administration's Justice Department has accused of discrimination in admissions. On May 6, the Justice Department accused the University of California, Los Angeles' medical program of similar admissions policies.
The Justice Department said its investigation of Yale University documents found Black and Hispanic students had a higher chance of admission than White and Asian students with similar test scores.
Yale did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Harmeet K. Dhillon, an assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, accused Yale of continuing a "race-based admissions program" despite a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that ended the use of race-conscious admissions policies at universities.
“This department will continue to shed light on these illegal practices, and demand that institutions of higher education comply with federal law," Dhillon said in a statement.
In a letter to a Yale University representative, the Justice Department alleged the school discriminated against some applicants "to benefit preferred race classes of Black and Hispanic." The Justice Department said in the letter that Yale violated the law by intentionally discriminating based on race in its admissions.
The high court's 2023 decision striking down affirmative action in college admissions has also put employers on notice that their diversity programs would be next in the bull’s eye.
Trump swept into office on campaign promises to restore fairness in the workplace by bulldozing "woke" diversity, equity and inclusion policies he argues harm men and White Americans in the federal government, the private sector and in education.
Pressure to align with the president’s agenda has only increased in recent months as his administration has launched investigations and filed lawsuits challenging what it says are discriminatory DEI practices.