The Department of Education opened a civil rights investigation into Harvard University’s admissions policies around legacy admissions, a longstanding practice that’s come into question in the wake of the Supreme Court’s momentous decision last month to strike down affirmative action in college admissions.
The Department of Education opened an investigation into Harvard University's legacy admission ... [+]
The probe comes three weeks after a trio of minority organizations—the Chica Project, African Community Economic Development of New England and the Greater Boston Latino Network—filed a civil rights suit against Harvard, claiming its legacy policies gives preferential treatment to students with “familial ties to wealthy donors and alumni.”
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights confirmed in a statement to Forbes it has launched an open investigation, but refused to comment on the matter.
In a 6-3 ruling along ideological lines last month, the Supreme Court ruled the admissions policies that take race into account at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina violated students’ constitutional rights under the Fourteenth Amendment to equal protection, and that the policies disadvantage both white and Asian-American students. The two cases, which were brought by Students for Fair Admissions, were roundly condemned by advocacy groups including the NAACP, as well as by Democratic lawmakers who argued the practice boosts diversity at private and public schools—race-based quotas in college admissions had previously been banned.
Supreme Court Gets Rid Of Affirmative Action In College Admissions (Forbes)
Minority Groups Challenge Harvard’s Legacy Admissions—Days After Affirmative Action Struck Down (Forbes)