Justice Department investigating UC system for race and sex based employment practices

(FOX40.COM) — An investigation is underway into the University of California system for race and sex based employment practices, the United States Department of Justice announced on Thursday.

The DOJ stated that its Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the UC system, which also includes its campuses, with concerns of potential racial and sex-based discrimination in the university’s employment practices.

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“Public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. 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 UC’s “2023 Capacity Plan” runs its campuses’ hiring of “diverse” faculty members to meet race- and sex-based employment numbers, DOJ officials said. This initiative opens new measures to hire by their race and sex, which possibly runs afoul of federal law.

DOJ stated that the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section will investigate whether the UC 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 1964.

The letter, which was signed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, stated:

“We are writing to inform you that the Department of Justice is opening an investigation to
determine whether the University of California, including the individual University of California
campuses, is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race and sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e, et seq. (“Title VII”). It is the responsibility of the Attorney General of the United States to enforce the provisions of Title VII with respect to state and local government employers. The Attorney General has delegated the authority to investigate compliance with these provisions to the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division.”

Down below is the DOJ’s shared letter with the public, which was sent electronically to UC President Dr. Michael Drake, informing them that the DOJ has opened an investigation within the institution.