The U.S. Department of Education has initiated a civil rights investigation into Harvard University’s legacy admissions policies following a complaint alleging racial discrimination. The complaint was filed by Black and Latino community groups in New England who argued that these policies disproportionately favor white students. The probe follows last month’s Supreme Court ruling that abolished the use of affirmative action in college admissions.
The United States Department of Education has initiated a civil rights investigation into Harvard University’s legacy admissions policies, part of the significant escalation of ongoing scrutiny of university admissions in the country.
The probe comes in response to a complaint alleging racial discrimination in Harvard’s use of legacy and donor preferences during admissions, which disproportionately benefits white students.
The complaint was submitted on behalf of Black and Latino community groups from New England, who cited data indicating that legacy students, around 70 percent of whom are white, are seven times more likely to gain admission. They constituted about 28 percent of Harvard’s Class of 2019. Legacy admission policies have come under increased focus following last month’s Supreme Court decision abolishing the use of affirmative action in college admissions, a tool previously used to enhance diversity.
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights confirmed the investigation but declined to comment further. In response, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated President Biden’s belief that “legacy admissions hold back our ability to build diverse student bodies.”
The involved community groups, in an emailed statement, expressed their satisfaction with the Department of Education’s swift action. They also urged Harvard to abandon these preferences, following in the footsteps of institutions like Amherst College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, the University of California and Wesleyan University.
Harvard, in its response, reiterated its commitment to diversity and openness. A spokesperson confirmed the university’s ongoing review of its admissions policies for law compliance post the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action.
The Coalition for a Diverse Harvard, an amalgamation of alumni, students and staff, opined through board member, Jane Sujen Bock, that ending legacy preferences could improve access, diversity and equity in admissions.
Earlier in July, Wesleyan became the latest institution to abandon legacy admissions. In the recent past, colleges including Amherst, Carnegie Mellon University and Johns Hopkins have also done away with such preferences.
These policies, increasingly questioned post the Supreme Court’s ruling, are forcing higher education institutions to find new ways to maintain student diversity.
Derrick Johnson, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President and Chief Executive Officer, commended the Department of Education for ensuring a fair higher education system. Simultaneously, The American Civil Liberties Union Racial Justice Program’s Sarah Hinger highlighted the disproportionately beneficial nature of legacy admissions for white and wealthy individuals, calling it a manifestation of systemic racism.
In a related development, a joint study from Harvard and Brown University researchers found affluent students twice as likely to gain admission to elite schools, compared to similar-scoring peers from lower- or middle-income backgrounds, implicating legacy admissions as one contributing factor.
