Albuquerque Journal

Govt. accuses Harvard of racial bias

University says admissions will still consider race

- BY MARIA DANILOVA, COLLIN BINKLEY AND ERIC TUCKER

WASHINGTON — In its latest push to end the use of race in college admissions, the Trump administra­tion on Thursday accused Harvard University of “engaging in outright racial balancing” and sided with Asian-American students who allege the Ivy League school discrimina­ted against them.

Harvard denied the bias claim and said it would defend the right to consider race as a factor in admissions.

The Justice Department weighed in on a lawsuit filed in 2014 by Students For Fair Admission, which argues that one of the world’s most prestigiou­s universiti­es discrimina­tes against academical­ly strong AsianAmeri­can applicants in favor of others who may be less qualified.

The agency said in a “statement of interest” that Harvard has failed to demonstrat­e that it does not discrimina­te on the basis of race and that its use of personal qualities in determinin­g worthy applicants “may be infected with racial bias.”

The Supreme Court permits colleges and universiti­es to consider race in admissions decisions, but says that must be done to promote diversity and should be limited in time. Schools also must show why their considerat­ion of race is appropriat­e.

In Harvard’s case, Justice Department officials said, the university hasn’t explained how it uses race in admissions and has not adopted meaningful criteria to limit the use of race.

“No American should be denied admission to school because of their race,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.

Sessions said Harvard’s use of a “personal rating,” which includes subjective factors, such as being a “good person” or “likability,” may be biased against Asian-Americans. Sessions said the school admits it scores Asian-American applicants lower on personal rating than other students. Sessions also argued that Harvard admissions officers monitor and manipulate the racial makeup of incoming classes.

Harvard said it was disappoint­ed the department was “recycling the same misleading and hollow arguments that prove nothing more than the emptiness of the case against Harvard.”

“Harvard does not discrimina­te … and will continue to vigorously defend the legal right of every college and university to consider race as one factor among many in college admissions, which the Supreme Court has consistent­ly upheld for more than 40 years,” the university said in a statement. “Colleges and universiti­es must have the freedom and flexibilit­y to create the diverse communitie­s that are vital to the learning experience of every student.”

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