The Daily Fuckup

The Justice Department says it has completed a year-long investigation into the admissions policies and practices at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and found that the school discriminated based on race in admissions. In the department’s account, investigators concluded UCLA’s leadership intentionally selected applicants based on race and that the school violated federal law. The finding was released May 6, 2026.

According to the Justice Department, the investigation reviewed documents that showed UCLA considered racial demographics in admissions and relied on what it called racial preferences. The department also said admissions data showed disparities in academic preparation among admitted applicants from different racial groups. Those claims are the basis for the department’s finding, not a court judgment.

The release gives the department another high-profile entry in its broader fight over race in higher education, but the specific action here is narrower than that framing can make it sound. This was not a new investigation announced on May 7; it was the completion of an investigation and the publication of a formal finding the day before. UCLA has not publicly resolved the dispute in the Justice Department’s favor, and the finding could still be challenged in court or through any separate legal process that follows.

The case also lands in a legal landscape shaped by the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision limiting the use of race in college admissions. The department says the UCLA medical school continued to use race in its admissions decisions after that ruling. Whether that leads to changes at UCLA or in other medical programs will depend on what happens next in litigation, settlement talks, or compliance steps. For now, the department’s position is clear: it says the school crossed the line, and it has put that conclusion on the record.