A federal lawsuit filed on Monday claims that the University of California has unlawfully taken race into account when making undergraduate admissions decisions, alleging the institution has given preferential treatment to “non-Asian racial minorities,” such as Black and Latino students.
The lawsuit was brought forward by Students Against Racial Discrimination, an advocacy group founded last year by Richard Sander, a professor at UCLA, and Tim Groseclose, a professor at George Mason University. According to EdSource, the suit argues that UC discriminates against significant numbers of Asian American and white applicants by considering their race in the admissions process, ultimately denying them entry to UC campuses.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the university’s admissions policies indefinitely, ensuring compliance with the law. Sander, who has been a vocal critic of race-based admissions, co-authored the book “Mismatch,” which contends that affirmative action can place minority students in academic environments where they may struggle to succeed, a theory that has been challenged by many experts in the field.
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This lawsuit marks a continuation of Sander’s prior legal efforts. He filed a similar case against the University of California in 2018 related to its affirmative action practices.
Under California law, Proposition 209, which passed in 1996, prohibits public colleges from using race as a factor in admissions. Additionally, in 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to ban affirmative action nationwide.
In response to the lawsuit, a representative from the University of California system issued a statement to KTLA, saying the university has not yet received the lawsuit but is prepared to vigorously defend its admissions practices if served. “We believe this is a meritless suit intended to divert attention from our core mission to provide a world-class education to California students,” said Stett Holbrook, a strategic communications official for the UC Office of the President.
Holbrook further emphasized that since Proposition 209’s passage in 1996, the UC system has modified its admissions procedures to comply with the law. “We stand by our admissions policies, which are designed to expand access to qualified students. The race and ethnicity data collected through the UC undergraduate admissions application is only for statistical purposes. It is not shared with application reviewers and does not impact admissions decisions.”
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