Justice Department accuses UC Davis of discrimination in medical school admissions
By Melissa Joseph
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SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — The U.S. Justice Department has accused UC Davis Medical School of discriminatory practices in its admissions process, claiming the university used race-based methods that violate anti-discrimination laws.
In a six-month investigation, the Justice Department alleged that UC Davis Medical School discriminates based on race when admitting applicants and circumvented a Supreme Court decision banning affirmative action by using class-based variables as proxies. The department stated that the medical school created a “Davis Scale” to adjust the impact of GPA and MCAT scores.
The Justice Department claims Black and Hispanic applicants were admitted to the medical school at rates up to six times higher than White and Asian applicants, despite having lower academic qualifications on average.
The department said it plans to begin settlement talks with the school and, if compliance is not reached, intends to sue.
In a statement, UC Davis Medical School said,”The report’s findings do not accurately reflect the school’s rigorous, individualized, and merit-based admissions process and our firm commitment to complying with applicable federal and state anti-discrimination laws.”
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