Full Breakdown
DOJ Finds UCLA Medical School Violated Race-Neutral Admissions Rules
5/7/2026, 6:53:54 AM
DOJ Finding of Discrimination
On May 6, 2026 the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division released a letter concluding that UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine used race to favor Black and Hispanic applicants and to reject white and Asian candidates for the 2023-2025 entering classes, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Legal Context
The 2023 Supreme Court ruling in *Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard* prohibited race-conscious admissions, allowing only race discussion in essays. California’s Proposition 209 (1996) similarly bans race preferences. Since the Trump administration took office in 2025, the DOJ has increased enforcement, including a $1.2 billion settlement demand to UCLA in 2024 and joining lawsuits against other schools.
Key Actors
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon led the probe; First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli issued statements. The DOJ cited internal emails, a “guiding principles” memo urging BIPOC representation, and admissions associate dean Jennifer Lucero, alleged to have pressured the committee to consider race.
Data Highlights
In 2024, Black students averaged a 3.72 GPA (vs. 3.84 Asian, 3.83 white) and scored in the 68th–72nd MCAT percentile, while white and Asian admits were at the 86th percentile or higher. Gaps were similar in 2023 and 2025.
University Response
UCLA’s spokesperson said admissions “are based on merit and grounded in a comprehensive review of each applicant” and that the school is “carefully reviewing the DOJ report” while affirming compliance with Proposition 209.
Criticism
Professor Julie Park (University of Maryland) warned the DOJ’s reading of the *Harvard* decision “does not reflect what SFFA actually says.” James Murphy called the evidence “really weak,” citing the absence of applicant-pool analysis.
Conflicts
The DOJ’s case rests on disparities and internal memos but provides no direct admissions-committee votes linking race to individual decisions, leaving a factual gap about whether higher-scoring applicants were displaced.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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.” — Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General, DOJ
- “Racism in admissions is both illegal and anti-American, and this department will not allow it to continue.” — Harmeet K. Dhillon
- “The pattern of illegal and odious conduct by UCLA’s medical school is abhorrent to our Constitution and our nation’s founding principles.” — Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney
- “They probably have their vision of what they think compliance with SFFA is, but that’s not what SFFA actually says,” — Julie Park, professor of education, University of Maryland
Future Outlook
The DOJ seeks a settlement; if none is reached, it may pursue legal action that could threaten federal funding. Ongoing probes at Stanford, Ohio State and UC San Diego suggest broader Title VI enforcement.
