Harvard University’s admissions process “significantly disadvantages” Asian-Americans, the US Department of Justice said on Thursday, as it intervened in a long-running lawsuit against the college over affirmative action.
The justice department said in a court filing that Harvard’s use of a “personal rating” in its admissions harmed the chances of Asian-Americans compared with other ethnic groups and alleged the “vague” metric “may be infected with racial bias”.
“No American should be denied admission to school because of their race,” said Jeff Sessions, the attorney-general, in a statement. “As a recipient of taxpayer dollars, Harvard has a responsibility to conduct its admissions policy without racial discrimination by using meaningful admissions criteria that meet lawful requirements.”