Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
Lawsuit alleges University of California illegally considers race in admissions
UCLA's central campus
(
UCLA
/
Alan Nyiri
)
A lawsuit filed Monday in federal district court alleges that the University of California illegally considers race in undergraduate admissions and gives preference to “non-Asian racial minorities,” including Black and Latino students.
The lawsuit was filed by Students Against Racial Discrimination, an organization founded last year by Richard Sander, a law professor at UCLA, and Tim Groseclose, a professor of economics at George Mason University in Virginia. Sander is a prominent critic of affirmative action and previously filed a lawsuit against UC in 2018. That lawsuit sought more information about UC applicants and suggested that the university might be considering race in admissions, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Proposition 209, a 1996 ballot measure, bans California’s public colleges from considering race in admissions. And in 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court banned affirmative action nationwide.
Stett Holbrook, a spokesperson for UC, said in an email Monday that UC has not yet been served with the lawsuit and will wait until then to “respond as appropriate.” He added, however, that UC complies with Prop. 209. “UC undergraduate admissions applications collect students’ race and ethnicity for statistical purposes only and they are not used for admission,” he said.
-
Education researchers say happier teachers are more likely to stay and that stability can be good for long-term learning outcomes. -
Teachers unions across California are rallying for higher pay, better benefits, smaller class sizes and other improvements, with some threatening to strike. -
An investigation by ProPublica and The Chronicle of Higher Education reveals how the U.S. government ignored due process to gin up its attack on the University of California.
The lawsuit filed Monday claims UC “discriminates against large numbers of Asian- American and white applicants, who are denied admission to UC schools based on their race.” The lawsuit asks a judge to appoint an independent monitor to review UC admissions for an indefinite period.
Asian-American students made up 36.3% of UC’s undergraduate students in fall 2024 and white students accounted for just under 20%. Black students accounted for 4.7%, while Latino students made up 26.7%.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
