America
Asian-American students' complaint against Harvard dismissed
Washington, July 10
The US Department of
Education is dismissing a claim that Harvard shows bias against
Asian-American applicants because a similar lawsuit has already been
filed in federal court.
Education Department's Office for Civil
Rights reportedly told Bloomberg Business that it's dismissing the claim
without evaluating its merit, because of a similar lawsuit filed in
federal district court in Boston in November.
In May, a coalition
of more than 60 organizations filed a complaint with the federal
government, alleging that Harvard holds Asian-Americans to higher
standards than other ethnic groups, according to On Campus, a public
radio initiative produced in Boston.
They also complained the
university uses racial quotas lumping all Asian-Americans - Indian,
Chinese, Pakistani - into a single, broad category, and asked the
federal government to investigate.
"We feel the Department of
Education and the Department of Justice should have access to Harvard's
admissions records," Swan Lee who helped to organize the coalition, was
quoted as saying.
Civil rights activists suggest the complaint is
a back door attack on affirmative action, and Harvard says its
admissions philosophy is
"holistic" and it complies with the law.
The
group behind that lawsuit, Students for Fair Admissions Inc., is also
responsible for another case against the University of North
Carolina, according to On Campus.