Civil rights advocates sued Harvard University on Monday, challenging the school’s legacy and donor admissions policies as unfair giveaways to “mostly White” students.
Nearly 70% of applications that come from donor families are White, as are nearly 70% of legacy applications, which results in preferential treatment over Asian American, Black and Hispanic applicants.
The lawsuit argued that doing away with those preferences is one way the school could maintain or boost Black and Hispanic enrollment after the Supreme Court last week struck down the school’s race-based affirmative action program as unconstitutional.
“The fact is that, if the Donor and Legacy Preferences did not exist, more students of color would be admitted to Harvard,” said the lawsuit, led by the Chica Project, African Community Economic Development of New England and the Greater Boston Latino Network.
The Boston-based Lawyers for Civil Rights is handling the lawsuit for the groups.
The lawsuit uses data that came to light in the affirmative action case that showed the heavy advantage donors and legacy applicants have. LCR said donor-based applications are nearly 7 times more likely to be admitted than non-donor applicants and legacy applicants have a six-fold advantage.
Harvard, as a recipient of federal money, is bound by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which the groups said forbids practices that have a disparate racial impact.
The groups asked the federal Education Department to investigate Harvard, too.
“Harvard’s practice of giving a leg-up to the children of wealthy donors and alumni – who have done nothing to deserve it – must end,” said Michael Kippins, the lead lawyer in the case. “Particularly in light of last week’s decision from the Supreme Court, it is imperative that the federal government act now to eliminate this unfair barrier that systematically disadvantages students of color.”
The Washington Times has reached out to Harvard for comment on this story.
In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling last week, the university said it would comply, though it also pointed to a section of the main ruling that said while granting a preference based on race alone is unconstitutional, judging an applicant individually including any hardship — or inspiration — derived from race is allowed.
Some observers have speculated that schools could try a workaround of the high court’s ruling by prodding Black or Hispanic students to focus on that in application essays.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.