Med school applicant with 99th percentile MCAT sues UNM for racist admissions

A former top medical school applicant is suing the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, alleging the institution illegally rejected him on the basis of race in violation of federal civil rights laws.

In a federal complaint filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, Michael Jakiche claims the university’s admissions office discriminated against him despite his exceptional academic record and test scores. Jakiche says the school waitlisted him in 2024 even though his Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score was in the 99th percentile, placing him ahead of nearly all applicants.

According to the lawsuit, the Albuquerque-based medical school later rejected his reapplication in 2025, citing “individual qualities,” “experiences,” and “diversity” factors that supposedly outweighed his academic credentials. Jakiche, who is of Syrian descent, argues that these factors were a pretext for racial discrimination.

The lawsuit alleges UNM’s admissions process violates the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action and race-based admissions practices in higher education. Jakiche’s legal team contends that the university continues to favor certain racial or ethnic groups over others despite the Court’s decision.

Included in the filing is correspondence from an associate dean who, when asked why Jakiche was not accepted, repeatedly referred to the school’s ongoing commitment to “diversity.” The complaint claims this admission is evidence that race played a role in the decision.

Jakiche, who graduated summa cum laude in biophysics from Arizona State University, is represented by attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center, a Texas-based legal nonprofit that frequently challenges what it views as unconstitutional race-conscious policies. The group announced the lawsuit Thursday.

“Universities have discriminated in admissions for so long, they apparently don’t know how to stop,” said Reilly Stephens, senior counsel for the Liberty Justice Center, in a statement. “Even after the Supreme Court finally made it clear that rigging the system for preferred demographic groups is illegal, it’s proving necessary to remind these institutions of their responsibilities again and again.”

The lawsuit seeks compensation for Jakiche’s application and legal expenses, as well as a court order requiring UNM to reconsider his application and cease using race in admissions decisions.

UNM spokesman Chris Ramirez rejected the allegations in a statement Thursday. “While The University of New Mexico generally does not comment on litigation, we can tell you that UNM follows all state and federal anti-discrimination laws,” he said. “In accordance with federal law, the UNM School of Medicine does not use race or gender as criteria for admission.”

The conservative medical advocacy group Do No Harm also weighed in, previously identifying the UNM School of Medicine as one of the nation’s five worst offenders for maintaining race-conscious policies despite the Supreme Court’s ruling.

“The UNM School of Medicine is an ultra-woke medical school where administrators fixate on identity box-checking and leftist social activism,” said Ian Kingsbury, the organization’s Center for Accountability in Medicine director. “It’s alarming but not surprising that their admissions process is alleged to run afoul of the Supreme Court’s decision to end racially conscious admissions policies.”

The case adds to a growing list of legal challenges testing whether universities are truly complying with the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling, as the broader debate over merit-based admissions versus diversity initiatives continues to divide academia.