WASHINGTON – A civil rights group is challenging legacy admissions at Harvard University, saying the practice discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair boost to the children of mostly white alumni.
The practice of prioritizing the children of alumni has faced increasing pushback in the wake of last week’s Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action in higher education. The NAACP added its weight behind the effort Monday, calling on more than 1,500 colleges and universities to level the playing field on admissions, including by ending legacy admissions.
The civil rights complaint was filed Monday by Lawyers for Civil Rights, a Boston-based nonprofit, on behalf of Black and Latino community groups in New England, alleging that Harvard’s admissions system violates the Civil rights.
“Why are we rewarding children for the privileges and advantages accrued by previous generations?” said Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of the group. “Your family name and the size of your bank account are not a measure of merit and should have no bearing on the college admissions process.”
Opponents say the practice is no longer defensible without affirmative action to provide a counterbalance. The court’s ruling says universities must ignore the race of applicants, activists say, but schools can still boost the children of alumni and donors.
The complaint, filed with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, is based on Harvard data that came to light amid the affirmative action case that came before the Supreme Court. Records revealed that 70% of Harvard’s legacy and donor-related applicants are white, and being a heritage student makes an applicant roughly six times more likely to be admitted.
It draws attention to other universities that have abandoned the practice amid questions about its equity, including Amherst College and Johns Hopkins University.
The suit alleges that Harvard’s legacy preference has nothing to do with merit and takes seats away from qualified students of color. It calls on the US Department of Education to outlaw the practice and force Harvard to abandon it as long as the university receives federal funding.
“A place awarded to an inherited or donor-related applicant is a place that becomes unavailable to an applicant who meets the admission criteria based solely on his or her own merit,” according to the complaint. If legacy and donor preferences were eliminated, he adds, “more students of color would be admitted to Harvard.”
Harvard said it would not comment on the complaint.
“Last week, the University reaffirmed its commitment to the founding principle that deep and transformative teaching, learning, and research depend on a community made up of people of many backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences,” the university said in a statement. prepared. “As we said, in the coming weeks and months, the University will determine how to preserve our core values, consistent with the new Court precedent.”
The complaint was filed on behalf of the Chica Project, the African Community Economic Development of New England, and the Greater Boston Latino Network.
Also Monday, the NAACP launched a campaign aimed at getting universities across the country to promote diversity on campus. The group called on 532 public and 1,134 private colleges and universities to end legacy preferences, eliminate “racially biased” entrance exams, hire diverse faculty, and support first-generation and low-income students with scholarships and tutoring, among other measures.
“We hope our nation’s institutions will join us in embracing diversity, no matter what,” said Derrick Johnson, NAACP President and CEO. “Regardless, the NAACP will continue to advocate, litigate and mobilize to ensure that all African Americans have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.”
That effort joins another campaign urging alumni at 30 prestigious universities to withhold donations until their schools finalize legacy admissions. That initiative, led by Ed Mobilizer, also targets Harvard and other Ivy League schools.
President Joe Biden suggested last week that universities should rethink the practice, saying legacy admissions “expand privilege rather than opportunity.”
Several Democrats in Congress demanded an end to the policy in light of the court’s decision, along with Republicans, including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination.
It’s unclear exactly which schools provide a boost to the legacy and how much it helps. In California, where state law requires schools to disclose the practice, the University of Southern California reported that 14% of students admitted last year had family ties to alumni or donors. Stanford reported a similar rate.
A Associated Press survey of the nation’s most selective colleges last year found that legacy students in the freshman class ranged from 4% to 23%. At four schools—Notre Dame, USC, Cornell, and Dartmouth—heritage students outnumbered black students.
Supporters of the policy say it creates a community of alumni and encourages donations. A 2022 study from an undisclosed university in the Northeast found that legacy students were more likely to donate, but at the cost of diversity: The vast majority were white.
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