Yale Confirms Talks With DOJ Over Admissions

Yale University is discussing a potential voluntary resolution with the Department of Justice over allegedly discriminatory admissions practices, President Maurie McInnis announced Monday.

In May, the DOJ found that the Yale School of Medicine used racial proxies to admit applicants in violation of a Supreme Court ban on the use of race in admissions practices. The DOJ is also investigating Yale College and Yale Law School.

Amid speculation of a settlement—which has prompted strong faculty pushback—McInnis confirmed that Yale is in talks with the DOJ. She cast those discussions as “a standard and important practice that lawyers for the involved parties and the government participate in conversation and exchange of information to determine whether they can resolve the matter without further legal action.” She added that the talks were a “required and reasonable step.”

McInnis also sought to check the concerns that have been circulating about a potential deal. She wrote that Yale is “committed to safeguarding academic freedom” and “must maintain the right to decide who we admit and hire in accordance with the law,” among other principles.

McInnis wrote that while “our standard is to refrain from commenting on ongoing legal matters to protect the integrity of the process,” she was making an exception due to “speculation and misinformation spreading.” She also noted that Yale has already changed its admissions processes but did not directly dispute any claims by the DOJ about the findings issued in May.

If Yale reaches a voluntary resolution with the Trump administration, it would be one of multiple institutions in the last 18 months to strike a deal, many of which made various concessions. Those deals ranged by campus, but together have included restrictions on campus protest activity; changes to admissions, hiring and disciplinary practices; and multimillion-dollar fines.