Latest news with #HarmeetDhillon
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Justice Department investigating University of California over alleged DEI-based hiring
The Justice Department has announced it is investigating the University of California (UC) for alleged Title VII discrimination violations in its hiring practices. The agency announced Thursday that its Civil Rights Division is looking into the university's individual campuses regarding potential race- and sex-based discrimination in employment practices. The university's "UC 2030 Capacity Plan" directs its campuses to hire "diverse" faculty members to meet race- and sex-based employment quotas, the Justice Department said. "These initiatives openly measure new hires by their race and sex, which potentially runs afoul of federal law," the Justice Department said in a press release. "The Civil Rights Division's Employment Litigation Section will investigate whether the University of California is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964." Title VII prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, said. "Public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination," Dhillon said. "Institutional directives that use race- and sex-based hiring practices expose employers to legal risk under federal law." The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division wrote to the university on Thursday, informing it of the investigation. "Our investigation is based on information suggesting that the University of California may be engaged in certain employment practices that discriminate against employees, job applicants, and training program participants based on race and sex in violation of Title VII," the letter reads. "Specifically, we have reason to believe the University of California's 'UC 2030 Capacity Plan' precipitated unlawful action by the University of California and some or all its constituent campuses." UC said it will work in good faith with the Justice Department as it conducts its investigation. "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," a UC statement provided to Fox News Digital reads. "The University also aims to foster a campus environment where everyone is welcomed and supported." The university's UC 2030 Capacity Plan lays out a goal of becoming a national model as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) system. The plan outlines a pipeline strategy to diversify faculty and researchers through expanded graduate enrollment and outreach to institutions that serve underrepresented students. The DOJ, however, claims these initiatives may violate Title VII by functioning as de facto employment quotas. In March, UC dropped diversity statements from its hiring practices amid President Donald Trump's threats that schools could lose federal funding. The university's provost, Katherine S. Newman, sent out a letter to the system's leaders informing them that diversity statements are no longer required for new applicants. Newman wrote that while some programs and departments have required them, the university has never had a policy of diversity statements and believes it could harm applicant evaluation. "The requirement to submit a diversity statement may lead applicants to focus on an aspect of their candidacy that is outside their expertise or prior experience," the letter obtained by Fox News Digital reads. She added that employees and applicants can still reference accomplishments related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) on their own, but requiring stand-alone diversity statements is no longer permitted.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
University of California being investigated by DOJ over possible discriminatory hiring practices
The Department of Justice launched an investigation into the University of California and its campuses, saying there are concerns about potential race and sex-based discrimination in the UC's hiring practices. The DOJ said the investigation will look into whether the UC system and its individual campuses violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits an employer from discriminating against people based on their race, color, religion, sex or national origin. "We have reason to believe the University of California's 'UC 2030 Capacity Plan' precipitated unlawful action by the University of California and some or all its constituent campuses," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a letter addressed to UC President Michael Drake. The UC system describes the UC 2030 Capacity Plan as a systemwide effort of how it plans to support California through enrollment strategies and address the state's needs. "Specifically, the Plan discusses enrollment projections, degree attainment, increasing diversity, supporting underserved regions, and meeting workforce demands," the board of regents said in its letter highlighting the plan. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Eric Sell was assigned to the investigation. The DOJ said no conclusions have been reached at the time and it intends to consider all relevant information. "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," a UC spokesperson said in a statement. The spokesperson said the UC will work in "good faith" with the DOJ during the investigation.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Justice Dept. Opens Inquiry Into University of California Hiring Practices
The Trump administration on Thursday targeted California's education system for the second time in two days, announcing a new Justice Department investigation into whether a plan to build a university system that more closely reflects the state's racial and ethnic diversity violates civil rights laws against discrimination. The investigation was made public just 24 hours after the U.S. Education Department declared that California was breaking federal law by allowing transgender girls to compete on female sports teams. The federal government gave the state 10 days to reverse its policies or face 'imminent enforcement action.' On Thursday, Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department's top civil rights attorney, said in a letter to Michael V. Drake, the president of the University of California system, that she was focused on the 'University of California 2030 Capacity Plan,' which she said might discriminate against some employees, job applicants and training program participants. The government's news release about the inquiry said that the university plan required campuses to meet quotas for race- and sex-based employment. The 44-page plan is a three-year-old planning document aimed at expanding enrollment in the University of California system while also 'reflecting California's diversity.' It makes no specific mention of quotas, but does note that future growth of faculty and students should result in campus populations that 'better reflect and tap the talent of underrepresented populations who represent the majority of Californians.' The plan offers parameters on how to achieve that while also meeting Gov. Gavin Newsom's goal of 70 percent of working-age Californians earning postsecondary degrees or certificates by 2030. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Hill
2 days ago
- The Hill
DOJ investigating University of California over ‘potential race- and sex-based' hiring discrimination
The Department of Justice announced Thursday it is investigating the University of California over alleged civil rights violations in its employment practices. The department is investigating the university's 'UC 2030 Capacity Plan' that allegedly has 'race- and sex-based employment quotas' as the plan aims for a diverse faculty. 'Public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination,' said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. 'Institutional directives that use race- and sex-based hiring practices expose employers to legal risk under federal law.' The school's 2030 Capacity Plan has two goals for increasing diversity among faculty. The university said it wants to recruit at least 40 percent of its graduate students from its undergraduate programs and other Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities. The university also wants to hire 1,100 ladder-rank faculty, which are full-time professors with a tenure track The university says the increase in hiring will 'diversify the faculty because new hires are more diverse than existing faculty.' The Justice Department investigation will determine if the university has 'engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.' If found guilty, the university could face a fine and pay damages to affected individuals. The Hill has reached out to the University of California for comment.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Justice Department files lawsuit against Orange County Registrar over voter records
The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it has filed a lawsuit against Orange County Registrar Robert Page for allegedly refusing to provide records related to the removal of noncitizens from voter registration rolls and failing to maintain accurate voter lists. The suit claims this is a violation of the Help America Vote Act, a federal law signed in 2002 that reformed the nation's voting process. The suit also stated that 'The attorney general recently received a complaint from the family member of a non-citizen in Orange County indicating that the non-citizen received an unsolicited mail-in ballot from the defendant, despite lack of citizenship.' California violated Title IX over trans athletes, Trump administration says 'Voting by non-citizens is a federal crime, and states and counties that refuse to disclose all requested voter information are in violation of well-established federal elections laws,' Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a statement. 'Removal of non-citizens from the state's voter rolls is critical to ensuring that the state's voter rolls are accurate and that elections in California are conducted without fraudulent voting. The lawsuit comes after President Donald Trump's March 25 executive order, which'sought to compel officials to require documentary proof of citizenship for everyone registering to vote for federal elections, accept only mailed ballots received by Election Day, and condition federal election grant funding on states adhering to the new ballot deadline,' according to The Associated Press. Democratic state attorneys general challenged the effort as unconstitutional. A federal judge sided with the state attorneys general earlier this month. When contacted by KTLA for a comment, the Orange County Registrar of Voters stated that they'do not comment on pending or ongoing litigation.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
