The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine is facing a class action lawsuit as of Thursday. This comes despite a recent ruling from the Supreme Court that declared racially-based admission processes unconstitutional. Critics argue that UCLA continues to operate under such a system.
Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, Chairman of the nonprofit group Do No Harm, expressed concerns about UCLA’s admissions practices, stating, “They’ve been advising students on fairness in admissions as if it were a recommendation rather than a legal obligation. We shouldn’t let political agendas harm students of all backgrounds. Medical schools should focus on merit, not racial characteristics.”
Do No Harm, which aims to address what it describes as “radical progressive ideology” in healthcare, alongside students’ legal advocacy organizations, filed the lawsuit on behalf of applicants who claim to have faced discrimination based on their race or ethnicity in UCLA’s admissions process.
The lawsuit points to data suggesting that between 2020 and 2023, the proportion of white and Asian applicants to the Geffen School of Medicine hovered around 73% of the total applicant pool.
Admission to UCLA’s medical school is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of approximately 3.3%.
The suit names various defendants, including the medical school, the University of California’s governing board, and the Associate Dean of Admissions.
Fox News reached out to UCLA and the David Geffen School of Medicine for comments regarding the lawsuit but had not received a response at the time of reporting.
The lawsuit highlights that the medical school’s admission process conflicts with recent Supreme Court decisions regarding racial affirmative action. It points out that these practices violate the equal protection clause as per the 14th Amendment.
There’s also mention of an executive order signed by President Trump early in his administration, which sought to uphold merit-based opportunities and curtail what he referred to as “DEI practices.”
The plaintiffs allege that whistleblowers within the admissions office revealed concerning practices, indicating that race is discussed openly in the decision-making process for admissions.
UCLA is already under investigation by the Department of Health’s Office for Civil Rights regarding allegations of discriminatory admissions practices.
Anthony Arquebar, acting director of the HHS Civil Rights Bureau, mentioned in a recent press release the importance of recognizing the accomplishments of all students in healthcare, rather than focusing on a specific racial background.
The HHS inquiry was prompted by whistleblower reports suggesting that admissions criteria differ for Black and Latino applicants compared to their white and Asian peers.
