DOJ investigating California universities over affirmative action
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday it will be investigating multiple California universities to ensure they are in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling banning affirmative action in admissions.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will look into the admission practices of Stanford University; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Los Angeles; and the University of California, Irvine.
“President Trump and I are dedicated to ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity across the country,” said Bondi. “Every student in America deserves to be judged solely based on their hard work, intellect, and character, not the color of their skin.”
It is not clear what triggered the investigations into these four. Most universities announced policy changes after the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that said affirmative action is illegal in admissions.
The announcement of the investigations blasted the Biden administration and said it “advanced the ideology behind this illegal practice.”
“The Department of Justice will put an end to a shameful system in which someone’s race matters more than their ability,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle. “Every college and university should know that illegal discrimination in admissions will be investigated and eliminated.”
The Hill has reached out to the universities for comment.
The investigations come after the Department of Education sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to universities telling them to get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion practices or risk loss of funding.