Federal Court Puts Harvard's Racial Discrimination Under the Microscope
An appeals court in Boston heard a lawsuit on Wednesday that alleges Harvard University restricts the number of Asian-Americans at the school, Reuters reported.
The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals heard a lawsuit that Students for Fair Admissions filed against Harvard University in 2014 alleging the school discriminates against Asian-Americans in its admissions process, according to Reuters.
Harvard denied the lawsuit’s allegation and said it is legally promoting diversity in its student community.
“We are grateful the judges on the First Circuit were well-prepared for this important argument,” President of Students for Fair Admissions Edward Blum told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“If necessary, Students for Fair Admissions is prepared to take this case to the U.S. Supreme Court,” he added.
“It is gravely disconcerting that Harvard’s admissions officers systematically gave Asian-Americans the lowest scores on personality traits such as likability, kindness and courage.”
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled in 2019 that despite Harvard’s imperfect admissions program, there weren’t any “workable and available race-neutral alternatives” that could still guarantee a diverse student body.
Burroughs cited Supreme Court rulings that permit universities to take race into account in admissions decisions.
The Justice Department in August found that Yale University — another Ivy League school — illegally discriminates against Asian-American and white applicants.
Harvard’s Director of Media Relations Rachael Dane told the DCNF: “The District Court unequivocally affirmed the principles of diversity and inclusion central to Harvard’s mission, and to the missions of colleges and universities across the country,” speaking about the most recent hearing.
“Our nation’s public policies and laws must recognize that people should not be treated differently because of their skin color or ethnic heritage,” Blum told the DCNF.
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