Harvard legacy admissions challenged after US Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action
- The complaint from civil rights groups says the policy towards applicants with family ties to the elite school overwhelmingly benefits white students
- In a major blow to diversity efforts, the top US court said last week that said race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard and UNC are unconstitutional
Harvard College was hit with a complaint on Monday claiming its policy of giving preference to applicants for undergraduate admissions with family ties to the elite school overwhelmingly benefits white students, days after the US Supreme Court struck down its race-conscious admissions policies.
Three civil rights groups filed a complaint with the US Department of Education claiming that Harvard’s preferences for “legacy” applicants violates a federal law banning race discrimination for programmes that receive federal funds, as virtually all US colleges and universities do.
Last week, the Supreme Court said race-conscious policies adopted by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina to ensure that more non-white students are admitted are unconstitutional. The decision was a major blow to efforts to attract diverse student bodies and is expected to prompt new challenges to admission policies.
Harvard College is the undergraduate school of Harvard University.
The groups in Monday’s complaint said the Supreme Court ruling had made it even more imperative to eliminate policies that disadvantage non-white applicants.
Harvard College did not immediately respond to a request for comment.