Investigations opened into race considerations in medical school admissions
The Trump administration has opened investigations into how race is considered in admissions at three medical schools, ratcheting up its pressure campaign against colleges and universities, reports BritPanorama.
The Justice Department commenced the investigations on Wednesday, focusing on possible discrimination at the medical schools of Stanford University, Ohio State, and the University of California, San Diego. Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, announced the investigations on X.
Through a series of investigations and executive actions, President Donald Trump has been intensifying scrutiny of universities he deems overrun by liberal influence. His administration has previously targeted undergraduate admissions at selective colleges, demanding they collect data to demonstrate compliance with a 2023 Supreme Court decision that forbids affirmative action in college admissions.
The investigations were first reported by The New York Times. In a letter to Ohio State, Dhillon stated that the Justice Department was seeking documents related to “the use or lack of use of race” in evaluating applicants. The request also included all applicant-level admissions data and any reviews by the school regarding admissions trends or outcomes by race.
A separate five-page document details the records being sought by the government, which encompasses data on standardized test scores, race and ethnicity information, and admissions decisions for each applicant since the incoming class that began in 2019.
Ohio State spokesperson Benjamin Johnson emphasized that the school is compliant with state and federal regulations regarding admissions. “We’ve received the attached letter and will respond appropriately,” he said.
UC San Diego stated it was reviewing the notice from the Justice Department. “UC San Diego is committed to fair processes in all of our programs and activities, including admissions, consistent with federal and state anti-discrimination laws,” the university noted in a statement.
Stanford School of Medicine spokesperson Cecilia Arradaza indicated it was reviewing the letter. “Stanford School of Medicine prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law,” Arradaza said.
It remains unclear why these three medical schools were specifically targeted. The Supreme Court ruling that banned the use of affirmative action in admissions clarified that colleges could still consider how race has influenced students’ lives, as long as applicants disclose that information in their admissions essays. Trump has expressed concern that colleges were using personal statements as a proxy to evaluate race, which he argues constitutes illegal discrimination.
Earlier this month, a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration policy that requires higher education institutions to collect data proving they are not considering race in admissions. A federal judge in Massachusetts is currently deliberating on their request to block this demand.
