Rights group challenges legacy admissions at Harvard University that often favour whites

In the United States, a complaint filed on Monday with the Department of Education revealed that the process of legacy admissions at Harvard University has been challenged by a civil rights group. This comes just a few days after the Supreme Court struck down the decades-long practice of affirmative action.

The rights group has accused the process of basically discriminating against students of colour by giving an unfair advantage to others, mostly white kids of alumni.

Lawyers for Civil Rights, which is a nonprofit based in Boston, filed the civil rights complaint on behalf of Black and Latino community groups in New England.

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The group has alleged that the education institution's admissions system violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by giving preference based on wealth and status.

As quoted by US-based media reports, the groups said in the complaint that "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".

A survey from Pew Research Center found in March 2022 that around 75 per centof US adults believe that whether a relative attended a school should not be a factor in college admissions decisions.

As quoted by reports, Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, who is the executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights and also handling the case, said that "Why are we rewarding children for privileges and advantages accrued by prior generations?"

Ivan added, "Your family's last name and the size of your bank account are not a measure of merit, and should have no bearing on the college admissions process."

Around 70 per centof Harvard's donor-related and legacy applicants are white, records have revealed and also mentioned that being a legacy student makes an applicant roughly six times more likely to be admitted.

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The complaint mentioned that "a spot given to a legacy or donor-related applicant is a spot that becomes unavailable to an applicant who meets the admissions criteria based purely on his or her own merit" and further added that if legacy and donor preferences were removed, it will provide "more students of colour would be admitted to Harvard".

The university said in a prepared statement, "Last week, the University reaffirmed its commitment to the fundamental principle that deep and transformative teaching, learning, and research depend upon a community comprising people of many backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. As we said, in the weeks and months ahead, the University will determine how to preserve our essential values, consistent with the Court's new precedent."

(With inputs from agencies)

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