DOJ Says UC Davis Medical School Still Using Race-Based Admissions
The U.S. Department of Justice concluded that the University of California, Davis School of Medicine violated federal civil rights law by using socioeconomic factors as racial proxies in admissions after the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative action ban. The investigation found disparities in admission rates favoring Black and Hispanic applicants despite lower academic metrics, with the DOJ citing the Davis Scale and internal statements as evidence of intentional discrimination against white and Asian applicants under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Thursday that the University of California, Davis School of Medicine violated federal civil rights law by discriminating on the basis of race in its admissions process. The conclusion follows a six-month investigation into practices adopted after the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in *Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard*, which banned race-based affirmative action in college admissions. The DOJ found that UC Davis Medical School used socioeconomic factors—such as parental income, education, and participation in assistance programs—as proxies for race to maintain racial diversity. The school’s admissions policies, including the Davis Scale created by Associate Dean of Admissions Dr. Mark Henderson, adjusted academic metrics like GPAs and MCAT scores to prioritize underrepresented minority applicants. Investigators reviewed records from 2019 to 2025 and uncovered disparities in admission rates, with Black and Hispanic applicants admitted at higher rates than white and Asian applicants despite lower average academic credentials. Data showed that 93% of admitted white and certain Asian students had MCAT scores at or above the average score of admitted Black students, while white and Asian applicants also had higher average GPAs. The DOJ cited internal communications, including Henderson’s statement that the admissions process relied on ‘class-based affirmative action’ to ‘skirt the issue’ of race. The department also noted that UC Davis promoted the Davis Scale as a model for other institutions to preserve diversity post-Supreme Court ruling. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated the findings demonstrated unlawful discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The DOJ will now pursue voluntary settlement negotiations, which could include revising admissions policies, eliminating the Davis Scale, or implementing race-neutral review procedures. This marks one of the most significant federal enforcement actions in higher education admissions since the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision.
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