The US Justice Department has launched investigations into the admissions policies of three major medical schools – Stanford University, Ohio State University, and the University of California, San Diego. This move is part of a broader effort by the administration to scrutinize higher education institutions on issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The department’s demands for data include information about test scores, home ZIP codes, familial relationships to alumni or donors, internal messages related to diversity and inclusion, and correspondence with pharmaceutical companies. This expanded investigation marks the Trump administration’s latest effort to expand its influence over academia.
At the center of this inquiry is a focus on potential race discrimination in medical school admissions. The Justice Department claims that civil rights laws override privacy concerns, stating that the information will be maintained under federal confidentiality requirements.
This move comes after years of pressure from the administration on various universities, with some schools facing lawsuits and investigations into issues such as antisemitism, transgender protections, and admissions policies.
The investigation highlights a growing trend of federal intervention in higher education, particularly for institutions receiving significant research funding. The Trump administration’s stance on civil rights law is also being closely watched, with some experts arguing that its interpretation of the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling on affirmative action has led to this expanded scrutiny of medical school admissions.
The investigations will likely have implications for diversity in the medical field, as racial demographics of enrolled students at these institutions are relatively representative of the national average.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/us/politics/trump-medical-schools-civil-rights.html