500 signatures reached
To: President Jonathan Levin & Dean Lloyd Minor
Stanford: Protect student privacy — reject DOJ demands for admissions data
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To: President Jonathan Levin and Dean Lloyd Minor:
As members and supporters of the Stanford community – including alumni, faculty, students, staff, and allies – we are deeply concerned by the Trump Administration's request for admissions data from Stanford Medical School.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is requesting seven years of admissions-related data, including applicants’ race, ethnicity, home ZIP codes, relationships to donors or alumni, and test scores. The DOJ is also seeking internal university communications about diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as communications between the university and pharmaceutical companies about admissions policies.
If the requested data are not handed over by April 24, the DOJ has indicated that federal funding for Stanford’s professional programs could be withheld.
If the requested data are not handed over by April 24, the DOJ has indicated that federal funding for Stanford’s professional programs could be withheld.
We believe the federal request is invasive and inappropriate on both academic freedom and privacy grounds. In particular, because Stanford Medicine’s incoming cohorts are relatively small (last year's medical student class was less than 100 students), transmitting highly detailed, disaggregated admissions data could make individual students easier to identify.
Stanford is not alone. Ohio State University and the University of California, San Diego received similar letters. This is part of a broader pattern of federal pressure on colleges and universities, including efforts to use funding threats and intrusive information demands to reshape campus policy and practice.
The administration’s stated rationale is to determine whether Stanford School of Medicine is complying with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling on race-conscious admissions. But based on public reporting, Stanford does not appear to be under a court order to comply. As a result, Stanford should not comply voluntarily with an overbroad request that threatens student privacy and undermines institutional independence.
As Stanford alumni, students, faculty, staff, and allies, we support Stanford’s leadership in protecting student privacy and defending academic freedom. We urge Stanford's leaders to refuse to comply voluntarily with this invasive and inappropriate demand by the federal government.
Sincerely,
Cardinal Courage and allies in the Stanford community, including:
Ken Farbstein, A.B. '79
Charles Hsu, PhD '85; MBA '90
Brian Kissel, MBA '90
Barbara A. Lloyd, MBA '90
Murtaza Mogri, PhD '11
Audrey Shafer, MD '83
Sarah Walter, PhD '10
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Note: This is an Open Letter. By signing, you will be adding your name (and, if applicable, degree/affiliation) to a public letter that Cardinal Courage intends to publish prior to April 24. All other information will remain confidential.
If you would prefer your name to be anonymized (using initials; Example: "J.S., PhD '25") in the Open Letter, please select "Anonymize my response" before submitting your signature. All other information will remain confidential.
Why is this important?
The Trump Administration is attempting to coerce Stanford Medical School into releasing sensitive admissions data that could compromise student privacy. While Stanford is not yet under a court order to comply, the DOJ has set an April 24 deadline to respond. Join Cardinal Courage in calling on Stanford to protect student privacy by refusing to comply voluntarily with this invasive and inappropriate demand by the federal government.
Please add your name to Cardinal Courage's open letter and share it with Stanford alumni, faculty, staff, students, allies, and anyone else who is ready to stand up for academic freedom and student privacy -- and against federal government overreach:
https://bit.ly/cardinalcourage
Please add your name to Cardinal Courage's open letter and share it with Stanford alumni, faculty, staff, students, allies, and anyone else who is ready to stand up for academic freedom and student privacy -- and against federal government overreach:
https://bit.ly/cardinalcourage