Justice Dept. alleges UC San Diego med school favored Black, Hispanic applicants

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine used race‑based criteria that gave preference to Black and Hispanic applicants. According to the DOJ, the school “used purportedly ‘race‑neutral’ subjective criteria to deliberately increase admission of so‑called ‘underrepresented minorities in medicine’” and “manipulated applicant data to achieve greater racial diversity.” The department said it seeks a voluntary resolution and warned it will file suit if talks fail. UC San Diego said it is reviewing the DOJ’s communication and maintains that all applicants must meet strict academic thresholds applied uniformly. The DOJ says the practice violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 2023 Supreme Court decision ending race‑based affirmative action. The university faces the prospect of losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding if the dispute is not resolved. The allegation is part of a broader federal crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion policies at several medical schools nationwide.