In what appears to be a major boost for Asian Americans suing Harvard University for its affirmative action admissions policy, the Trump government, via the US Justice Department signaled its support on Thursday saying the academy's policy does discriminate applicants of different races in favor of whites.
According to CNN, the US Justice Department showed its public support to the claims of the plaintiffs, Students for Fair Admissions - a group which represents Asian-American applicants who got rejected by Harvard.
In an official document cited by the news outlet, the agency pointed out on the record evidence which manifests Harvard's "race-based admissions process" which sidelines other applicants such as those of Asian-American descent.
The text further stipulated that there is "no meaningful criteria" for Harvard to factor in the policy which clearly focuses on an applicant's race.
As divulged in the document, Harvard uses "a vague 'personal rating'" that offers the Asian-American university hopefuls the disadvantage against members of other races. Moreover, the terms of the ruling, which is clearly "infected with racial bias," quell their "chances for admission" into the Ivy League school.
The Justice Department went on to specify that for more than four decades and a half, Harvard failed to consider utilizing "race-neutral alternatives" in its student selection process that concerned race.
Meanwhile, it is revealed in this report that Harvard has systematically discriminated against the complainants by also referring to certain student quotas.
The school is reportedly "keeping close tabs" on the racial composition of its classes which, according to the US Supreme Court, is a practice that is not allowed in any colleges.
There is a high possibility that the suit filed by the Students for Fair Admissions could reach the Supreme Court, LA Times said. If this occurs, it could shake up the way American universities and colleges admit students into their respective learning institutions.
Harvard's Response to the Issue
Harvard, in its statement of response released through its Office of Public Affairs, said that that it is "deeply disappointed" that the DOJ has taken the side of Students for Fair Admissions.
As cited by CNBC, Harvard thinks that the complaints have done nothing but to recycle "the same misleading and hollow arguments."
Harvard, which is considered as the country's oldest institution of higher learning, maintains that it "does not discriminate against applicants from any group," adding that the university will continue to support what is considered a legal right of any school to consider race as one deciding factor for admitting a student.
