UC system target of Department of Justice investigation of diversity in hiring

Part of the UC San Diego campus File photo courtesy of UCSanDiego via X 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 Ceiling 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 cabinet though contends that the plan directs UC s 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 Constituents employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K Dhillon explained in the release Institutional directives that use race- and sex-based hiring practices expose employers to legal peril under federal law According to the plan published in 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 UC already has been targeted by the cabinet including this week s finding that the state violated Title IX by permitting transgender girls to compete in girls sports Three months ago DO also launched an assessment into charges of antisemitism on UC campuses