Rura: Harvard Is Probed On Legacy Admissions.

"The U.S. Department of Education has opened an investigation into Harvard University's use of donor and legacy admissions preferences, a month after the Supreme Court ruled the school's use of race-conscious preferences unconstitutional.

The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights confirmed on Tuesday that it launched the investigation this week in response to a separate complaint filed last month on behalf of three Massachusetts-based organizations serving communities of color. The complaint alleges that Harvard College violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by giving preference to undergraduate applicants whose relatives are university alumni or donors.

Title VI prohibits programs that receive federal funds from discriminating against individuals based on race, color or national origin.

The investigation follows the Supreme Court's decision in June to end race-conscious policies in college admissions decisions. Shortly after the ruling, Lawyers for Civil Rights, the organization representing the three community groups, filed a complaint against Harvard, alleging that the college's use of legacy and donor-based preferences disproportionately benefits white students.

 The complaint also said that these applicants are six to seven times more likely to receive admissions to Harvard compared with their counterparts who don't have ties to donors or alumni.

"At the same time that Donor and Legacy Preferences disproportionately advantage white applicants, they systematically disadvantage students of color, including Black, Latinx, and Asian Americans," the lawyers said in the complaint.

In an emailed statement, Harvard representative Nicole Rura said the university is currently reviewing its admissions policies and data to ensure its compliance with the Supreme Court's decision, while doubling down on the university's commitment to diversity.

"As this work continues, and moving forward, Harvard remains dedicated to opening doors to opportunity and to redoubling our efforts to encourage students from many different backgrounds to apply for admission," Rura said." [1]

1. Harvard Is Probed On Legacy Admissions. Tagami, Megan. 
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 26 July 2023: A.6.