The Department of Justice has concluded that the University of California, Davis School of Medicine violated federal civil rights law by engaging in race-based discrimination during its admissions process, according to findings released Thursday following a six-month investigation.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the medical school’s admissions practices from 2023 through 2025 unlawfully discriminated against white and Asian applicants in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The investigation was launched after concerns emerged that some universities were attempting to preserve racial diversity in admissions following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which prohibited the use of race-conscious admissions policies in higher education.
According to the department, UC Davis School of Medicine developed and implemented methods designed to maintain racial diversity while avoiding direct consideration of race.
Federal investigators reviewed internal communications, admissions records and applicant data spanning several years. The department said the evidence showed school officials discussed strategies for continuing to achieve racially diverse classes through alternative means.
At the center of the investigation was a system known as the “Davis Scale,” a measure of socioeconomic disadvantage developed by Associate Dean of Admissions Dr. Mark Henderson.
The scale incorporated factors including parental income, parental education levels, participation in government assistance programs, growing up in medically underserved communities and financial contributions made by applicants to support their families.
Admissions officials used the scale when evaluating applicants, adjusting the weight assigned to traditional academic metrics such as grade point averages and Medical College Admission Test scores.
The Justice Department alleged that the system functioned as a proxy for race and was intentionally designed to preserve racial outcomes similar to those achieved before the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Investigators cited internal communications and public statements made by Henderson describing the approach as a form of class-based affirmative action.
The department’s report stated that admissions data revealed significant disparities among applicant groups.
According to the findings, Black and Hispanic applicants were admitted at substantially higher rates than white and Asian applicants despite lower average academic credentials in certain admissions cycles.
The report also stated that white and Asian students admitted during the period generally possessed higher average GPAs and MCAT scores than many applicants from other demographic groups who received admission offers.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the evidence supported a finding that the university violated federal law.
“Based on our review, the Department has found that Davis Med is violating Title VI by discriminating on the basis of race in its admissions process,” Dhillon wrote in a letter outlining the agency’s conclusions.
The department said it intends to pursue discussions with the university aimed at bringing the medical school into compliance with federal law.
Potential remedies could include changes to admissions policies, elimination of the Davis Scale or similar evaluation methods and implementation of additional oversight measures.
University officials had not publicly announced whether they would challenge the findings or enter into a settlement agreement as of Thursday, per Trending Politics.
The case represents one of the most significant federal investigations into university admissions practices since the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on affirmative action.
The Justice Department said it will continue monitoring compliance efforts at institutions receiving federal funding to ensure admissions decisions are made without unlawful consideration of race.
