US Justice Dept alleges anti-Asian bias at Ohio State med school
Synopsis
The US Justice Department has found that Ohio State University's medical school gave Black applicants 2.8 times the odds of admission over equally credentialed Asian applicants — and ran a separate, race-based pathway that bypassed standard screening entirely. The findings invoke both Title VI and the Supreme Court's 2023 anti-race-admissions ruling, and signal a broader federal sweep of medical school admissions nationwide.
Key Takeaways
The US Justice Department's Civil Rights Division announced findings on Wednesday, 22 October 2026 accusing Ohio State University's College of Medicine of racial discrimination in admissions.
Black applicants were reportedly 2.8 times more likely to be admitted than equally credentialled Asian applicants under the school's screening system.
The school allegedly operated a separate admissions pathway allowing some candidates to skip screening scores or interviews, which the department characterises as race-based.
The findings cover incoming classes of 2023 , 2024 , and 2025 and cite Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against race-based admissions.
The Justice Department will seek compliance through settlement negotiations first, with litigation to follow if those fail.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K.
Dhillon warned the department would extend its medical school admissions review beyond Ohio State.
The US Justice Department has formally accused Ohio State University's College of Medicine of discriminating against Asian and white applicants, alleging its admissions system disproportionately favoured Black candidates and permitted certain applicants to bypass standard screening or interview requirements. The findings, announced on Wednesday by the department's Civil Rights Division, cover incoming classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Key Allegations
According to the investigation, Black applicants who completed screening and interviews were approximately 2.8 times as likely to be admitted as Asian applicants with equivalent credentials. The department further alleged the medical school operated a separate admissions pathway through which some candidates gained admission without a screening score or without sitting for an interview — a practice the government characterises as a race-based workaround.
The department said the school employed what it described as a 'Holistic Approach' to admit more applicants from underrepresented minority groups. Under this system, screeners rated candidates across three categories: attributes (up to 12 points), experiences (up to 16 points), and metrics (up to 8 points), with an additional interview stage.
What the Government Said
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who heads the Civil Rights Division, said: 'A university's admissions process, and all its stages, should apply equally to all applicants regardless of race.'
Dhillon added: 'The use of a separate admissions process based on race is plainly illegal under federal law, and this Department will not allow these appalling practices to continue at OSU Med or any other federally funded higher ed institution.'
Legal Basis and Next Steps
The Justice Department cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, colour, or national origin in programmes receiving federal financial assistance. It also invoked the US Supreme Court's 2023 ruling banning race-conscious university admissions, which applied to undergraduate and graduate programmes at federally funded institutions.
Crucially, Wednesday's announcement represents investigative findings rather than a court judgment. The department said it would first pursue settlement negotiations to bring admissions practices into compliance, and would file lawsuits if those efforts failed. It also signalled that the probe into medical schools' admissions practices would continue beyond Ohio State.
Broader Context
This comes amid a wider crackdown by the current Justice Department on race-conscious admissions policies across American higher education, accelerating enforcement of the Supreme Court's 2023 decision. Medical schools, which receive substantial federal funding through research grants and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, are particularly exposed to Title VI obligations. Notably, this is among the first formal Civil Rights Division findings targeting a medical school's admissions process since the 2023 ruling. How Ohio State University responds — whether through settlement or litigation — could set a precedent for peer institutions still navigating post-ruling compliance.
Point of View
Where the Supreme Court's ruling landed most visibly, into the more insular world of medical school selection. The 2.8x admissions disparity figure, if upheld in court, is a striking number; but the more consequential allegation is the parallel, off-scorecard pathway, because it implies deliberate structural circumvention rather than merely weighted scoring. For universities still calibrating post-ruling compliance, the signal is clear: holistic frameworks that produce racially skewed outcomes will be treated as proxies for prohibited race-consciousness, regardless of how they are labelled. The real question is whether settlement pressure will produce genuine reform or cosmetic reclassification.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the US Justice Department find at Ohio State University's medical school?
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division found that Ohio State University's College of Medicine discriminated against Asian and white applicants by favouring Black candidates in admissions, including through a separate pathway that let some applicants skip screening or interviews. The findings cover incoming classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025.
How large was the alleged admissions disparity at Ohio State?
According to the investigation, Black applicants who completed standard screening and interviews were about 2.8 times as likely to be admitted as Asian applicants with equal credentials. The department cited this gap as evidence of racially unequal treatment in violation of federal law.
What law did Ohio State allegedly violate?
The Justice Department cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination based on race, colour, or national origin in programmes receiving federal funding. It also cited the US Supreme Court's 2023 ruling that banned race-based admissions at federally funded universities.
What happens next after the Justice Department's findings?
The announcement is an investigative finding, not a court judgment. The Justice Department said it will first seek compliance through settlement negotiations with Ohio State, and will file lawsuits if those efforts fail. It also indicated it will continue reviewing other medical schools' admissions practices.
What was Ohio State's 'Holistic Approach' admissions system?
The system rated applicants on three scored categories — attributes (up to 12 points), experiences (up to 16 points), and metrics (up to 8 points) — followed by an interview stage. The Justice Department alleges the framework was used to admit more applicants from underrepresented minority groups and that a separate pathway bypassed some of these steps for certain candidates.
