Washington– The Trump administration has opened investigations into how race is taken into account in admissions to three medical schools, ramping up a pressure campaign on colleges and universities.
The Justice Department opened investigations Wednesday into possible discrimination at medical schools at Stanford University in Ohio and the University of California, San Diego. Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice Announce Investigations into X
It was President Donald Trump Intensify scrutiny He criticizes universities that have been overrun by liberal influence, using control of federal research funding as leverage. His administration has required selective colleges to submit college admissions data to show they are in line with a 2023 Supreme Court decision banning affirmative action in college admissions.
The investigations were first reported by The New York Times.
In a letter to Ohio State, Dillon wrote that the Justice Department was seeking any documents related to “the use or nonuse of race” in evaluating applicants. She said they also look for all applicant-level admissions data and any reviews the school conducts of admissions trends or outcomes by race.
Ohio State spokesman Benjamin Johnson said the school is in compliance with state and federal regulations and legal provisions regarding admissions. He added: “We have received the attached letter and will respond appropriately.”
UC San Diego said in a written statement that it is reviewing the notice issued by the Department of Justice. “UC San Diego is committed to fair operations in all of our programs and activities, including admissions, in compliance with federal and state anti-discrimination laws,” the university said in a written statement.
Stanford University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It was not immediately clear why the three medical colleges were targeted.
Supreme Court ruling that banned the use Affirmative action in acceptance He said colleges can still consider how race shapes students’ lives if applicants share that information in their admissions essays. Trump raised concerns that colleges and universities were using personal data and other proxies to look at race, which he views as illegal discrimination.
Earlier this month, a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging A. Trump administration policy This requires institutions of higher education to collect data showing that they are not considering race in their admissions processes.
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