United States: On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice began its investigations into Stanford University and three University of California educational institutions to verify their compliance with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that eliminated race-conscious admission policies, as reported by Reuters.
Affirmative action policies, which traditionally raised underrepresented minority enrollment, were banned through the 2023 Supreme Court ruling.
Affirmative Action Ban Prompts Scrutiny
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi ordered civil rights division investigators to check whether Stanford University, along with three University of California campuses, comply with a Supreme Court ruling blocking admissions discrimination, according to a department news release.
According to the review process, Stanford will be monitored alongside the University of California Berkeley and UCLA, followed by the University of California Irvine.
AG Pam Bondi launches DOJ probe into Univ. of California for alleged antisemitism, focusing on staff workplace conditions under Title VII. Aims to address hostile environment claims tied to Israel-Hamas protests. UC vows to fight discrimination. pic.twitter.com/gETymjHPqF
— 𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐇 (@pr0ud_americans) March 6, 2025
Trump Administration’s Influence on DEI Policies
During his second presidential term, President Donald Trump’s government focused on dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in government institutions and private industry facilities. The President launched numerous probes of educational institutions and threatened to reduce funding from universities promoting DEI initiatives.
“President Trump and I are dedicated to ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity across the country,” Bondi said in the release. “Every student in America deserves to be judged solely based on their hard work, intellect, and character, not the color of their skin.”
According to the media release, the Department of Justice investigations represent an initial step toward eliminating instructional diversity and equality initiatives.
At the moment of the Supreme Court decision, Stanford University announced it would start implementing new policies to achieve compliance.
University Responses to Investigation
The university maintains its dedication to comply with all legal requirements. Our university has no specific details about today’s announcement but we eagerly await hearing their concerns and answering all department questions according to Stanford spokesperson Dee Mostofi’s email statement.
According to records, the University of California implemented the affirmative action ban, which California voters implemented through Proposition 209 in 1996, as reported by Reuters.
“At the same time, we remain committed to expanding access for all qualified students,” the statewide university system said in a statement. “The UC undergraduate admissions application collects students’ race and ethnicity for statistical purposes only. This information is not shared with application reviewers and is not used for admissions.”