DOJ Investigates Stanford, UC Schools Over Affirmative Action Compliance

United States: The U.S. Department of Justice initiated a probe into Samford University along with three University of California (UC) institutions to validate their conformity to Supreme Court decisions prohibiting race-based enrollment regulations, as reported by Reuters.

Affirmative Action Ban Under Scrutiny

Two law schools failed to prove they needed affirmative action because the Supreme Court banned its former use to promote minority student enrollment last year. The Florida Attorney General Pamela Bondi has ordered DOJ investigators to verify that Samford University and three University of California institutions (Berkeley, UCLA, and Irvine) follow the recent Supreme Court ruling.

Monitoring Key Universities

The DOJ will first examine Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and UCLA before moving on to UC Irvine. This review aims to determine if these institutions have eliminated race-based considerations from their admissions processes.

Trump Administration’s Focus on DEI Rollback

President Donald Trump’s second term brought aggressive moves by his administration to destroy diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in both public and private institutions. The former President undertook various investigations of educational institutions and warned of withdrawing financial support from universities implementing diversity and inclusion programs.

Bondi declared that both President Trump and she remain committed to ending unlawful discrimination and bringing back merit-based opportunities for the entire nation. America’s students must receive evaluations based only on their mental effort combined with their intelligence and personal nature rather than racial background.

University Responses to Investigation

Stanford University declared its dedication to obeying laws after the Supreme Court made its decision. Stanford University remains dedicated to upholding its responsibilities under legal obligations. Stanford University spokesperson Dee Mostofi specified in an email statement that the university is eager to receive information on the department’s concerns while preparing responses to their questions, although no details regarding the announcement have been provided, as reported by Reuters.

The University of California system declared its adherence to the affirmative action ban implemented through Proposition 209 in 1996. The University of California continues supporting student accessibility for qualified individuals while following California’s current affirmative action legislation. The undergraduate admissions application of the University of California system asks students to provide race and ethnicity data only for statistical reasons. The application system collects demographic information for research purposes only,y but keeps these data private from admissions reviewers and keeps them separate from the admissions process.