Justice Department drops admissions bias suit against Yale

NEW HAVEN — The Justice Department on Wednesday dropped its lawsuit against Yale University that had accused the university of illegally discriminating against Asian-American and white applicants.

A spokesman for the Justice Department said an investigation into whether Yale complies with all antidiscrimination laws is continuing.

The lawsuit was filed in October by the Trump administration, after notifying Yale in August that a twoyear investigation had found the university had violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The Justice Department said in its filing it was dismissing the action voluntarily. Senior U.S. District Judge Charles S. Haight Jr. ordered the dismissal later Wednesday.

“Yale is gratified that the

U.S. Justice Department has dropped its lawsuit challenging Yale College’s admissions practices,” Yale spokeswoman Karen Peart said in a statement Wednesday. “We are also pleased that the Justice Department has withdrawn its notice of violation of Title VI and its notice of noncompliance. The Justice Department’s decision in August 2020 to issue the notice of violation unexpectedly and precipitously cut off an exchange of information that Yale looks forward to resuming.”

Yale had said the Justice Department had not received all of the information it requested before filing suit and was rushing into its decision.

Yale President Peter Salovey on Wednesday said in a statement, “I am pleased that the department has decided to drop its lawsuit and has withdrawn its notices of violation of Title VI and of noncompliance. Instead, the department will resume the compliance review that it set aside last fall in favor of litigation. Yale welcomes the chance to share information with the department, confident that our admissions process complies fully with decades of Supreme Court decisions.

“Today’s news comes at the start of a new semester, which is a time of reflection and recommitment to Yale’s mission of educating future leaders who will serve all sectors of society. Our ability to realize this shared mission relies on an admissions process that looks at the whole applicant: where applicants come from, what they have accomplished, and what they hope to achieve at Yale and after graduation. In this way, we create an incoming class that is richly diverse—with invaluable benefits to our students, faculty, and community.”

In a statement, a Justice

Department spokesperson said it was dropping the lawsuit “in light of all available facts, circumstances, and legal developments” and notified Yale on Wednesday that it had also withdrawn its August determination letter that the university discriminated based on race and national origin.

The Justice Department’s investigation claimed that Yale used race as a factor in multiple steps of the admissions process and that Yale “racially balances its classes.”

The Supreme Court has ruled colleges and universities may consider race in admissions decisions but that it must be limited in scope and time. Schools also must be able to show why their consideration of race is appropriate.

Students for Fair Admission of Arlington, Va., unsuccessfully sued Harvard University for allegedly discriminating against Asian-American applicants.