Harvard University was accused by minority groups of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by giving preferential treatment in the admissions process to children of alumni and wealthy donors, days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the use of race-based affirmative action policies.
“Each year, Harvard College grants special preference in its admissions process to hundreds of mostly White students — not because of anything they have accomplished, but rather solely because of who their relatives are,” the groups said in a complaint filed Monday with the U.S. Department of Education.
The Chica Project, the African Community Economic Development of New England, and the Greater Boston Latino Network seek an investigation into Harvard’s use of donor and legacy preferences in admissions and a formal declaration that the university will lose federal funds if it doesn’t end the practice. The groups also want Harvard to ensure that applicants with family ties “have no way to identify” themselves in the admissions process.
