Nov 12, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Appeals court: Harvard did not violate federal civil rights law in admissions process

Marisa Fernandez

Harvard University in Cambridge of Massachusetts — Harvard University in Massachusetts. Photo: Fan Lin/Xinhua via Getty Images

An appeals court on Thursday upheld a decision that found Harvard University's admissions process does not violate the federal civil rights law Title VI.

The big picture: The ruling marks a defeat for nonprofit Students for Fair Admission, which argued in a 2014 lawsuit against Harvard that Asian American applicants were held to a higher admission standard compared to Black and Hispanic students.

The case exposed details of Harvard's admission preferences and student body makeup that were not influenced by race, like legacies, children of big donors and athletes.

What they're saying: "The level of variation in the share of admitted Asian American applicants is inconsistent with a quota, as is the fact that the share of admitted Asian Americans co-varies almost perfectly with the share of Asian American applicants," the decision says.

"The amount by which the share of admitted Asian American applicants fluctuates is greater than the amount by which the share of Asian American applicants fluctuates."
"Harvard's limited use of race in its admission program survives strict scrutiny."

What to watch: The decision could lead to a review by the Supreme Court.

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Appeals court: Harvard did not violate federal civil rights law in admissions process

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