The Department of Education has initiated an investigation into Harvard University’s policy on legacy admissions, marking a significant development in the legal battle surrounding college admissions in the United States. Lawyers for Civil Rights, a Boston-based nonprofit, recently filed a federal civil rights complaint on behalf of Black and Latino community groups in New England. The complaint accuses Harvard of engaging in discriminatory practices by giving preferential treatment to applicants with familial ties to wealthy donors and alumni.
The complaint requests that the Department of Education declare legacy and donor preferences illegal and compel Harvard to cease these practices if it wishes to continue receiving federal funding. The Education Department has confirmed that it contacted Lawyers for Civil Rights regarding their request to open an investigation under Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in federally funded programs and institutions.
The scrutiny surrounding legacy admissions has intensified following a recent Supreme Court ruling that put an end to race-based affirmative action in college admissions. Harvard was one of the universities at the center of that case. In response to these developments, Democrats have rallied behind the idea of eliminating legacy admissions. Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Jamaal Bowman have announced their intention to reintroduce a bill aimed at addressing policies that give undue advantage to applicants who are the children of alumni and wealthy donors.
While President Joe Biden has not explicitly supported eliminating legacy admissions, he has acknowledged that the college admissions process does not favor the working class. In light of research indicating that removing legacy preferences would not adequately compensate for the loss of affirmative action, the White House is exploring alternative avenues to address the Supreme Court’s ruling.
According to the complaint filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights, nearly 70% of Harvard’s donor-related and legacy applicants are white. Donor-related applicants are almost seven times more likely to be admitted than non-donor-related applicants, while legacy applicants are almost six times more likely to be admitted.
A study released by Harvard and Brown researchers earlier this week revealed that wealthy students are twice as likely to be admitted to elite colleges as their lower- or middle-income counterparts, despite similar standardized test scores. Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, the Executive Director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, emphasized the need to eliminate privilege and advantages tied to family background in the college application process. He argued that a person’s last name and financial status should not determine their merit or influence the college admissions process.
In summary, the Department of Education’s civil rights probe into Harvard’s legacy admissions policy represents a significant development in the ongoing legal battle over college admissions in the United States. Various groups, including Lawyers for Civil Rights and Democratic lawmakers, are advocating for the elimination of legacy admissions, citing concerns about discrimination and unequal opportunities for disadvantaged students.
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