Correction: A previous version of this story referred to a government finding regarding Title IX that involves the state of California, not the University of California system.
The University of California system, which includes UC San Diego, is being investigated by the Department of Justice over alleged race- and sex-based discrimination in employment.
DOJ issued a news release Thursday regarding the “UC 2030 Capacity Plan,” which, according to the university, governs “enrollment projections, degree attainment, increasing diversity, supporting underserved regions, and meeting workforce demands,” as UC President Michael V. Drake wrote in an introductory letter to the document.
The government, though, contends that the plan directs UC’s 10 campuses to hire “diverse” faculty members to meet race- and sex-based quotas.
“These initiatives openly measure new hires by their race and sex, which potentially runs afoul of federal law,” according to the department.
The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section will investigate to determine if the system is “engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex and other protected characteristics” under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in the release. “Institutional directives that use race- and sex-based hiring practices expose employers to legal risk under federal law.”
According to the plan, released in 2022, one of Drake’s goals is to shape “campus populations that better reflect and tap the talent of underrepresented populations who represent the majority of Californians.”
UCSD referred all inquiries about the investigation to UC’s Office of the President, which issued a statement: “The University of California is committed to fair and lawful processes in all of our programs and activities, consistent with federal and state anti-discrimination laws. The University also aims to foster a campus environment where everyone is welcomed and supported. We will work in good faith with the Department of Justice as it conducts its investigation.”
UC already has been targeted by the government. Three months ago, DOJ also launched an investigation into allegations of antisemitism on UC campuses.
