In a battle against American universities whose progressive and inclusive policies it disapproves of, the government of Donald Trump accused Yale on Thursday of being discriminatory towards white and Asian applicants.
The US Department of Justice accused Yale School of Medicine on Thursday, May 14, of discriminating against white and Asian candidates, following an investigation into diversity practices at this elite university.
This is part of a new episode in President Donald Trump’s campaign against American universities, which he accuses of promoting a “woke” ideology, a term used derogatorily by conservatives to denounce progressive and inclusive policies.
“Internal documents at Yale show that its leadership intentionally selected candidates based on their race,” the Department of Justice stated in a press release.
It specifically alleges, based on admission data, that “black and Hispanic students have a much higher chance of being admitted to Yale than white or Asian students with the same test results.”
Illegal Affirmative Action Measures
The Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that affirmative action measures, which universities have been practicing for years to promote diversity in recruitment, were illegal.
The Department of Justice claims that Yale did not comply with this decision and continued to practice admissions based on the candidates’ origin.
Before considering possible legal action, the Department aims to “reach a voluntary resolution with the university” so that it can “comply with the law.”
Last week, the Trump administration launched a similar attack against the School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Reduced or Frozen Funding
As part of his broad campaign to rein in higher education institutions, Donald Trump has used federal funds as a bargaining chip with universities he deems too liberal, demanding that they accept changes to their programs, enrollment policies, or other aspects of their operations.
The Republican administration has also reduced or frozen funds allocated to university research, as part of broader budget cuts since taking office in January 2025.
Located in New Haven, Connecticut (northeast) since the early 18th century, Yale is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the United States.
[Context: The accusations against Yale are part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to challenge affirmative action policies in education institutions.] [Fact Check: The year mentioned in the article as 2023 is likely a typo, as the Supreme Court has not ruled on affirmative action measures at that time.]
