UCLA Medical School Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Race-Based Admissions

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine is at the center of a legal storm, facing a class-action lawsuit alleging that it continues to employ race-based admissions practices despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that struck down affirmative action in college admissions. The lawsuit, filed by the nonprofit organizations Do No Harm and Students for Fair Admissions, accuses UCLA of intentionally discriminating against applicants based on race and ethnicity.

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, chair of Do No Harm, told Fox News Digital that UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine has continually treated the Students for Fair Admissions ruling as a recommendation, rather than a binding law handed down by the highest court in the land. He asserts that the medical school is disregarding the Supreme Court’s decision and prioritizing race over merit in its admissions process. Do No Harm is fighting for all the students who have been racially discriminated against by UCLA under the guise of political progress, he said.

The lawsuit argues that UCLA’s admissions process violates the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which declared race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions unconstitutional, as they violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The plaintiffs contend that UCLA is engaged in intentional racial balancing. They point to data showing that between 2020 and 2023, white and Asian applicants consistently made up around 73% of the total applicant pool to the Geffen School of Medicine. However, the percentage of matriculants (students who enrolled) who were white and Asian allegedly plummeted during the same period: 65.7% in 2020, 57.1% in 2021, 57.8% in 2022, and 53.7% in 2023. This disparity, according to the lawsuit, suggests that UCLA is intentionally limiting the admission of white and Asian students to achieve a desired racial balance.

The lawsuit names a wide range of defendants, including the medical school itself, the governing board of the University of California system, and the associate dean of admissions at the medical school.

The lawsuit states that whistleblowers with first-hand knowledge revealed that the schools dean of admissions rolled out an admissions process plan that requires Geffen applicants to submit responses that are intended to allow the Committee to glean the applicant’s race, which the medical school later confirms via interviews. The admission committee, according to the suit, additionally routinely and openly discuss race (and racial proxies) and use race as a factor to make admission decisions.

In addition to the lawsuit, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is already facing investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights over allegations that it discriminates against applicants based on race, color, or national origin. Anthony Archeval, acting director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, said in a press release in March that the investigation reflects the Administration’s commitment to honor the hard work, excellence, and individual achievement of all students in the pipeline for the medical profession – not just those of particular racial backgrounds.

The HHS investigation was reportedly sparked by multiple whistleblowers in the admissions office who claimed that the school set lower standards for Black and Latino applicants compared to their white and Asian counterparts.

UCLA’s medical school is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of only about 3.3%, according to U.S. News & World Report college rankings.

The lawsuit and the HHS investigation are unfolding against a backdrop of increasing scrutiny of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in higher education and other sectors. Many critics argue that DEI initiatives have gone too far and have led to reverse discrimination and lowered standards.

Former President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 21, one day after his inauguration, that restored merit-based opportunity and charged federal agencies with enforcing civil rights laws and combat DEI practices.

The lawsuit against UCLA’s medical school is likely to be a closely watched case with significant implications for the future of college admissions and DEI programs across the country.

The plaintiffs are seeking a court order that would prohibit UCLA from considering race in its admissions process. They are also seeking damages for the applicants who were allegedly discriminated against.

The lawsuit alleges that the medical schools admissions process violates the Supreme Courts ruling in the 2023 case, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. The nations highest court ruled that it is unconstitutional to use race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions processes as it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.