Yale University – US DOJ Investigation of Medical School

Summary

On May 14, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that its Civil Rights Division had concluded an investigation into admissions practices at Yale School of Medicine and determined that Yale had discriminated based on race in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The DOJ stated that Yale had continued to consider race in admissions decisions after the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. The Department alleged that Yale’s admissions process resulted in unequal treatment of applicants, including that Asian American and White applicants were disadvantaged compared with similarly qualified Black and Hispanic applicants. The DOJ stated that Yale’s practices “cannot be reconciled with the Supreme Court’s clear instruction that universities must treat students as individuals, not as members of racial groups.” The Department sought to resolve the matter through a voluntary agreement. The same day, the DOJ announced that it had expanded admissions investigations to 15 additional medical schools to examine compliance with Title VI and the Supreme Court’s restrictions on the consideration of race in admissions.

Following the DOJ’s announcement, Yale disputed the Department’s characterization of its admissions process and maintained that its policies complied with federal law. The university stated that its admissions decisions were based on individualized review of applicants and that it did not use racial quotas or preferences. The dispute continued into July 2026, when Yale and the DOJ entered discussions regarding a possible resolution of the investigation.

On July 13, 2026, Yale President Maurie McInnis sent a message to the Yale community confirming that the university was engaged in discussions with the DOJ. McInnis stated that Yale was “committed to working with the Department of Justice to find a resolution that enables Yale to continue to fulfill its mission while complying with the law.” She stated that Yale sought to preserve its ability to fulfill its educational mission while meeting its legal obligations. Yale also confirmed that separate admissions-related investigations involving other parts of the university remained ongoing.

The negotiations prompted responses from faculty organizations, including the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), which urged Yale to reject DOJ settlement demands. In a July 2026 letter to President McInnis, AAUP and AFT leaders stated that Yale should “resist the Trump administration’s unlawful demands” and argued that the university should protect academic freedom and institutional independence. The Yale chapter of AAUP similarly called on Yale not to agree to terms that would restrict the university’s admissions policies or academic decision-making authority.