US Justice Department accuses Yale Medical School of race-based discrimination

The US Department of Justice accused Yale School of Medicine of engaging in race-based discrimination in its admissions process.

In a statement on Thursday, the department said that the school’s leadership “intentionally selected applicants based on their race.”

“Yale has continued its race-based admissions program despite the Supreme Court and the public’s clear mandate for reform,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“This Department will continue to shed light on these illegal practices, and demand that institutions of higher education comply with federal law.”

The Justice Department said that, in general, Black and Hispanic applicants were admitted with “consistently lower academic qualifications” than their White and Asian counterparts.

Yale, in a statement on Thursday, said that the students it admitted “demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and personal commitment,” and that it was “confident in the rigorous admissions process.”

“We will carefully review the Department of Justice's letter," it added.