Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is accusing Duke Law of defying the Supreme Court.
The DOJ claims that the university has engaged in race-based “discrimination,” which directly defies the 2023 SCOTUS ruling that found it is unconstitutional for race to be considered as a factor during the admissions process in colleges and universities.
“Duke Law School doesn’t get a free pass to discriminate against white and Asian students simply because it thinks it has good intentions,” Dhillon said.
At Duke Law, REJECTED white & Asian applicants had higher LSATs than admitted black applicants. With similar credentials: black applicants have a 3.5x higher chance of admission than Asians. This isn’t a coincidence—Duke Law discriminates & the @CivilRights Division will end it!…
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) August 6, 2026
The university came under scrutiny from the DOJ in April 2025, and the Civil Rights Division discovered that “Black applicants who applied in 2025 had roughly 3.5 times the chance of admission as Asian applicants with the same academic credentials.” A letter sent to Duke Law laid out the accusations, including that investigators discovered “that the median LSAT score for accepted Black applicants was lower than the median score for rejected Asian and White applicants.”
“This consistent difference in the test scores between students of different racial groups is substantial and cannot be explained by a coincidence. The magnitude and durability of these preferences across multiple cycles (including post-SFFA) confirm intentional discrimination,” the letter reads.
According to Fox News, Duke continues to allow admissions officials to “consider applicants’ discussion of how race affected their life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.” The university says it values having “students with a wide range of experiences, backgrounds, and interests that may not be directly related to their legal ambitions.”
“Using ‘diversity’ essay questions to identify preferred races for admission is still illegal discrimination based on race, and this Department is committed to eliminating it everywhere we find it, including in our nation’s law schools,” Dhillon accused.
“The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division issued a letter of findings related to Duke Law’s admissions practices. We are reviewing the letter and its conclusions carefully. Duke is committed to complying with the law and will continue to do so in a manner that is consistent with our academic mission,” said a spokesperson for the university.
X users reacted:
@dojphofficial needs to see how STATES discriminate against Americans to get Driver licenses (register to vote) while asking NOTHING OF NON citizens! https://t.co/vzFXDjvR11
— angela thomas (@angelathomas22) August 8, 2026
Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer… Stupid people becoming doctors may explain some of it. Wanna die? Go to the hospital, especially on the weekends.
— Guyla Rocks (@GuylaRocks) August 7, 2026
We should be defunding all universities, but since that does not seem possible, all funds should be contingent on adhering to explicit merit based admittance criteria. By law. With harsh peanlties.
— Coach Greg II (@FaixaPretaFrog) August 7, 2026
Let me guess, a cute little fine will be issued and that will be paid for by the US taxpayer through all the subsidies we give them?
— RealJeremy (@RealJeremy03) August 7, 2026
If they don’t pay a penalty, they will just restart the program under a different administration. Make it hurt their pocketbook
— Jay Sims (@NotBroken) August 7, 2026
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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