Harvard biased against Asians on admissions, lawsuit alleges
A prominent opponent of racial preferences in US college admissions has announced two lawsuits alleging unlawful bias in admission policies, including one accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asians.
A prominent opponent of racial preferences in US college admissions has announced two lawsuits alleging unlawful bias in admission policies, including one accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asians.
Edward Blum, director of the Project on Fair Representation, said the suits were filed in federal courts in Boston and Greensboro, North Carolina. The other case involves the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Blum said the plaintiff in both cases is a group he leads called Students for Fair Admissions.
Blum alleged that Harvard's admission process discriminates against Asian Americans, and that UNC-Chapel Hill failed to give adequate consideration to race-neutral admissions.
"These two lawsuits are the first of what are expected to be several similar challenges to other competitive colleges that use racial preferences in admission decisions," he said.
The Project on Fair Representation backed the plaintiff in a recent affirmative action case that went to the Supreme Court.
The court in 2013 sent the University of Texas' admission policy - which uses race as one factor in assembling a class - back to lower courts, telling them to evaluate it with the most rigorous scrutiny. Judges have since upheld the system.
Harvard and UNC-Chapel Hill defended their policies.
Robert Iuliano, Harvard's general counsel, said the university's admission plan was cited as legally sound in a landmark Supreme Court ruling in the 1970s.
"The university's admissions processes remain fully compliant with all legal requirements and are essential to the pedagogical objectives that underlie Harvard's educational mission," Iuliano said in a statement.
Rick White, associate vice chancellor for communications and public affairs at UNC-Chapel Hill, said that the university stood by its current undergraduate admissions policy and process.
