UC Davis favored less qualified Black, Latino med school applicants, Justice Department claims
Key takeaways
- The department said its findings, announced Wednesday afternoon, were based on a six-month investigation by its Civil Rights Division.
- “Davis Med’s actions reflect both unabashed contempt for the rule of law and plain disregard for the potential public health consequences of putting race over merit, skill, and competence,” Assistant Atty.
- “The Department will not allow schools to violate federal law without consequence.”
UC Davis’ medical school showed “unabashed contempt for the rule of law,” the Department of Justice says. (UC Davis) By Andrew J. Campa Staff Writer Follow June 10, 2026 9:04 PM PT 4 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
The U.S. Justice Department has accused the UC Davis School of Medicine of choosing race “over merit, skill, and competence” in its admissions process, favoring Black and Latino students even when they weren’t as qualified as white and Asian applicants.
The department said its findings, announced Wednesday afternoon, were based on a six-month investigation by its Civil Rights Division. The Justice Department said it found that the Northern California university violated the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against race-based determinations in admissions. The findings have been contested by the school.