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The federal government cracked down on two universities this week, apparently acting on Trump administration efforts against what it sees as discrimination in favor of certain minority groups.

The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into the University of Pittsburgh over demoting a electrophysiology fellowship director related to his anti-affirmative action paper.

And the Department of Justice for its affirmative action program, saying it illegally discriminates against Asian American and white applicants. The case dates back to 2016 when a , which also named Ivy League schools Brown and Dartmouth, that after Trump took office.

The moves follow the that said any organization that receives federal money should promote equal opportunity to prosper based on individual merit without regard to race or sex; "race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating" by government employees, agencies, or contractors will not be allowed.

In the Pittsburgh case, the school removed Norman C. Wang, MD, as director of the electrophysiology fellowship program at the Heart and Vascular Institute within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), at the end of July when his self-styled "white paper" published in the became widely denounced on Twitter.

The paper, on August 6 by the journal, had argued against affirmative action in cardiology programs, saying:

"Racial and ethnic preferences at both the undergraduate and professional school levels for blacks and Hispanics result in relatively weak academic starting positions in classes. This has been postulated to lead to poor performance through compounding 'academic mismatch,' stress‐related interference, and disengagement. Many do not complete their intended programs or do not attain academic success to be attractive candidates for subsequent educational programs or employment."

UPMC cardiology fellowship director Kathryn Berlacher, MD, had in response: "We stand united for diversity equity and inclusion. And denounce this individual's racist beliefs and paper."

On Oct. 7, the Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education sent a letter to the university saying it was opening an investigation on free speech and free inquiry grounds.

It cited a from the office issued Sept. 23 to encourage free speech and academic freedom.

"Instead of adhering to Pitt's published principles of free speech, academic freedom, and free inquiry, Pitt's officials refused to defend Dr. Wang and, upon information and belief, denounced and terminated him," the letter stated.

The letter defended Wang, saying the university appeared to have "improperly targeted Dr. Norman Wang ... with a campaign of denunciation and cancellation," suggested the university wouldn't have acted against him for the same statements if he wasn't Asian, and implied the university thus "supports and engages in overtly race-based admission and hiring."

While the letter has , an Education Department spokesperson told MedPage Today that it "can confirm the authenticity of the letter." A UPMC media relations manager acknowledged the investigation but declined to provide further comment.

In response to the Justice Department suit, Yale President Peter Salovey, PhD, called it "baseless," and said that race and ethnicity is just one of many factors that cannot be summed up by GPA and test scores alone, which cannot serve as the only criteria as there are too many applicants with excellent academic qualifications. In a , he concluded, "As our country grapples with urgent questions about race and social justice, I have never been more certain that Yale's approach to undergraduate admissions helps us to fulfill our mission to improve the world today and for future generations."

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