Justice Department launches investigation into University of California faculty hiring practices over concerns about race and sex discrimination

At a time when diversity initiatives are being closely scrutinized across the country, the U.S. Department of Justice is now taking a hard look at one of the most prominent public university systems in America—the University of California.

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division has launched an official investigation into whether the UC system may have crossed legal lines with its hiring policies.

Focus on UC’s “Diversity Hiring” Strategy

At the heart of the investigation is the UC 2030 Capacity Plan, a roadmap for expanding the university system over the next several years.

One of the plan’s goals is to increase faculty diversity.

That includes efforts to track and measure new hires based on race and sex—something that’s now drawing sharp criticism.

The Justice Department is raising serious concerns that these practices may not be compliant with federal law, specifically Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics.

Federal Law vs. Diversity Goals

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who heads the Civil Rights Division, emphasized the importance of following the law.

“Public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination,” she said.

Dhillon made it clear that while institutions may aim to increase diversity, doing so by explicitly using race or sex as criteria in hiring decisions could place them at legal risk.

This investigation will be carried out by the division’s Employment Litigation Section and will examine whether UC has engaged in a broader pattern or practice of discriminatory hiring.

A Closer Look at What Happens Next

For now, the Justice Department has sent a formal notice to the University of California system, laying out the scope of the investigation.

That letter, which is publicly available, marks the start of what could become a major legal and public debate about how far universities can—and should—go to diversify their faculties.

Whether this inquiry will lead to legal action remains to be seen.

But one thing is clear: the national conversation around diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity just got a lot more complex.