Duke Law School illegally considered race in admissions, DOJ says
The Department of Justice has accused Duke University School of Law of illegally using race as a factor in its admissions process, specifically in decisions for the classes of 2023 through 2025. The DOJ’s review found that the school’s practices resulted in discrimination against highly qualified white, asian, and other students, particularly through the use of race in essay questions to identify preferred candidates. This action is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which banned affirmative action in higher education admissions.Duke University stated it is reviewing the findings and is committed to legal compliance. The DOJ aims to reach a voluntary resolution to ensure the law is followed and pointed out that the school’s admissions favored black and Hispanic applicants, creating disparities in academic metrics among different racial groups. The investigation into discrimination by higher education institutions continues, with numerous other schools, including medical schools, being scrutinized under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The Department of Justice accused Duke University School of Law on Thursday of illegally using race as a metric in its admissions process, marking the latest Trump administration move to crack down on race-based admissions in higher education.
The DOJ said its Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 compliance review found that the North Carolina university’s law school intentionally discriminated based on race in its admissions of the classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon wrote in the findings letter that the school’s admissions practices led to “highly qualified white, Asian, and other students” being “denied admission on the basis of their race.”
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“Duke Law School doesn’t get a free pass to discriminate against white and Asian students simply because it thinks it has good intentions,” Dhillon said in a statement. “Using ‘diversity’ essay questions to identify preferred races for admission is still illegal discrimination based on race, and this Department is committed to eliminating it everywhere we find it, including in our nation’s law schools.”
The announcement situates Duke Law School as the latest target of the Trump administration’s effort to enforce the Supreme Court’s 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision, in which the court ruled the use of race in admissions considerations illegal, effectively banning affirmative action in higher education.
A Duke University spokesperson told the Washington Examiner in a statement that the institution received the findings letter and is reviewing it.
“We are reviewing the letter and its conclusions carefully. Duke is committed to complying with the law and will continue to do so in a manner that is consistent with our academic mission,” the Duke University spokesperson said.
The DOJ’s findings letter deemed that Duke Law School’s admissions process bolstered the prospects of black and Hispanic applicants, noting a “significant disparity in objective academic metrics between black and Hispanic applicants compared with applicants from other racial categories.”
Dhillon wrote that the department is seeking a “voluntary resolution agreement” with the school to bring it into Title VI compliance.
DOJ FINDS UC DAVIS MEDICAL SCHOOL GUILTY OF RACE-BASED DISCRIMINATION
The DOJ has unveiled numerous investigations finding higher education institutions out of compliance with the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In June, Dhillon announced the department would be investigating 15 additional medical schools over alleged race-based discrimination.
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