DOJ Alleges Yale Discriminates Against Asian American Applicants

A Justice Department investigation has found that Yale University has illegally discriminated against both Asian Americans and white applicants.

 
 

The 2-year Title VI investigation, which was started by a complaint sent to the Justice Department from civil-rights activist Yukong Zhao, concluded that Yale’s undergraduate admissions process “rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race, whom it otherwise would admit.”  Zhao also alleged that Brown University and Dartmouth College engaged in similar admission practices, but the department declined to investigate the two institutions saying Zhao didn’t provide sufficient evidence.

 
 

According to Justice Department findings, Asian American and white students have “only one-tenth to one-fourth of the likelihood of admission as African American applicants with comparable academic credentials.” The DOJ seeks Yale’s Title VI compliance by voluntary means.

“To that end, Yale must agree not to use race or national origin in its upcoming 2020-2021 undergraduate admissions cycle, and, if Yale proposes to consider race or national origin in future admissions cycles, it must first submit to the Department of Justice a plan demonstrating that its proposal is narrowly tailored as required by law. Any such proposal should include an end date to Yale’s use of race.”

 
 

The DOJ says if the university does not agree to the remidal measure by August 27, 2020, the department could file a lawsuit.

 
 

 
 

Yale President Peter Salovey released a statement calling the allegation baseless and said the university will not change its admissions processes.

“The department’s allegation is baseless. Given our university’s commitment to complying with federal law, I am dismayed that the DOJ inexplicably rushed to conclude its investigation without conducting a fully informed analysis, which would have shown that Yale’s practices absolutely comply with decades of Supreme Court precedent.
 
 
Yale College will not change its admissions processes in response to today’s letter because the DOJ is seeking to impose a standard that is inconsistent with existing law. We will continue to look at the whole person when selecting whom to admit among the many thousands of highly qualified applicants. We will continue to look at what students have accomplished and hope to contribute to Yale and the world. We will continue to create a student body that is rich in a diverse range of ideas, expertise, and experiences. Such a student body greatly enhances students’ academic experiences and maximizes their future success. By bringing people of different backgrounds, talents, and perspectives together, we best prepare our students for a complex and dynamic world.”

 
 

Source: https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1304591/download

 
 

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