By Ryan Patrick Jones and Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) – The Trump administration has opened investigations into admissions policies at some major medical schools, marking its latest crackdown against top U.S. educational institutions.
The investigation would focus on “possible race discrimination in medical school admissions,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon told the schools in letters. Dhillon confirmed the probes in a post on X on Thursday.
Medical schools at Ohio State University, the University of California, San Diego, and Stanford University said on Thursday they were notified about the federal probes first reported by the New York Times. Ohio State University shared with Reuters the letter that it got and which was dated Wednesday.
President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold federal funds from universities over issues including pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s assault on Gaza, diversity initiatives, climate programs and transgender policies.
The government’s crackdown has been criticized over concerns that it curbs academic freedom, free speech and due process, while its efforts to freeze funds have faced legal and judicial roadblocks.
The administration has in particular launched multiple investigations and lawsuits focusing on whether universities consider race in admissions after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that ended affirmative action in higher education.
Education advocates have urged universities to push back against government efforts to collect more admissions data, saying they could lead to privacy violations.
In its latest probes, the government is seeking information about medical school applicants from each of the past seven years, including test scores and home zip codes, as well as copies of internal university messages about diversity, equity and inclusion and correspondence between school officials and pharmaceutical companies about admissions policies.
The government demanded the schools provide the data by April 24, the letter says.
UC San Diego said it was notified by the Justice Department that it had commenced a probe and that the school was reviewing the notice. It added that the school was committed to fair processes in its programs, including admissions, in line with federal and state anti-discrimination laws.
The University of California system, of which UC San Diego is a part, has been repeatedly attacked by the Trump administration during his second term in office.
Ohio State University said it was fully compliant with state and federal laws and rulings, and would “respond appropriately” to the government.
Stanford School of Medicine said it was reviewing the letter and that the school prohibits “unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.”
(Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones, Kanishka Singh and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Andrea Ricci, Caitlin Webber and Rosalba O’Brien)
