An investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) has found that certain admissions practices at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) constituted racial discrimination. The DOJ announced the findings of the year-long investigation via a press release on Wednesday.
Among the specific ways the medical school discriminated, the DOJ said that leadership adhered to the “dubious contention that patients receive the best care when treated by a doctor of the same race, rather than by the most qualified.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon accused the school of focusing on “racial politics” rather than training excellent doctors.
“UCLA’s admissions process has been focused on racial demographics at the expense of merit and excellence — allowing racial politics to distract the school from the vital work of training great doctors,” stated Dhillon.
“Racism in admissions is both illegal and anti-American, and this Department will not allow it to continue.”
The investigation found that minority students, particularly black and Hispanic applicants, had lower academic qualifications than their white and Asian peers. This finding supports the DOJ’s claim that UCLA granted preferential admission to some minority applicants on the basis of race rather than academic merit.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli referenced recent Supreme Court precedent to reprimand the medical school’s leadership.
“Federal law and the Supreme Court precedent are clear: Race discrimination has no place in our nation’s institutions of higher learning,” stated Essayli.
In January, the Trump administration joined a Students for Fair Admissions and Do No Harm lawsuit against the UCLA School of Medicine after newly released data revealed the extent of its race-based discrimination.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi noted that the median MCAT score for Hispanic students at the UCLA School of Medicine was in the 66th percentile, while the median score for Asian students was in the 90th percentile. Similar findings were also reported for black students, who, on average, scored significantly lower than their white classmates.
“As the Supreme Court has made clear, admission into our nation’s educational institutions cannot be based on discriminatory racial policies,” stated Bondi.
The DOJ press release concluded that schools such as UCLA, which receive significant federal funding, could face increased scrutiny from the Trump administration if found to maintain discriminatory programs.
“Medical schools use substantial federal financial assistance to train the next generation of doctors,” read the press release.
“The Department is continuing its focus on eradicating illegal race politics from admissions at medical schools, where quality and excellence are vitally important.”
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY