The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an inquiry into the employment practices of the entire University of California system, following allegations of race- and sex-based discrimination, as outlined in the "UC 2030 Capacity Plan." According to a statement from the Justice Department, the investigation will assess whether the UC's hiring policies for staff violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids discrimination based on protected qualities, including race and sex.
In a notice letter to UC President Drake, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division indicated that the Attorney General has reasonable grounds to consider that the UC employment practices might perpetuate discrimination, which is a breach of federal law, she also highlighted the department's responsibility to take necessary actions to eliminate such practices, including the potential of bringing the issue to court.
The Civil Rights Division's Employment Litigation Section will lead the probe into the UC's practices, it will look into whether the university's initiatives have instigated a pattern of discrimination in hiring based on race and sex, in pursuit of greater "diversity," which is a key element in the university's long-term planning.
Public employers like the University of California are bound by the same federal laws that private corporations must adhere to, "Public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination," Dhillon stated, capturing the essence of what the law demands in terms of equal employment opportunity, regardless of the nobility of the intent behind such initiatives, as quoted in the Justice Department's release.
