UCLA medical school hit with class-action lawsuit for allegedly still using race-based admissions process
Context:
UCLA's Geffen School of Medicine faces a class-action lawsuit alleging it continues to use race-based admissions practices, despite a 2023 Supreme Court ruling declaring such practices unconstitutional. The lawsuit, filed by the nonprofit organizations Do No Harm and Students for Fair Admissions, accuses the school of intentionally discriminating against applicants based on race and ethnicity. The suit highlights a decline in the percentage of white and Asian matriculants, suggesting racial balancing in admissions. Whistleblowers have alleged that the admissions process uses responses to infer applicants' race, confirmed through interviews, and that race is openly discussed as a factor in decisions. The medical school is also under investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services for potential discrimination against applicants based on race, color, or national origin.
Dive Deeper:
UCLA's Geffen School of Medicine is accused of continuing race-based admissions despite the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against such practices, leading to a class-action lawsuit filed by Do No Harm and Students for Fair Admissions.
The lawsuit claims the medical school engages in racial balancing, as evidenced by a decline in the percentage of white and Asian matriculants from 2020 to 2023, despite these groups consistently making up about 73% of the applicant pool.
Whistleblowers from the admissions office allege that the admissions process includes questions designed to infer applicants' race, which is later confirmed through interviews, and that race is routinely discussed as a factor in admissions decisions.
The legal action names multiple defendants, including the medical school, the governing board of the University of California, and the associate dean of admissions, with the school not immediately responding to requests for comment.
The Department of Health and Human Services is investigating the medical school for allegations of discrimination against applicants based on race, color, or national origin, following reports of lower admission standards for Black and Latino applicants compared to their white and Asian counterparts.