A group of social scientists, including numerous Asian American organizations, have pledged their support to Harvard University in the Asian discrimination case.
Last week, more than 500 social scientists, including the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union, and various Harvard alumni groups, filed briefs in support of the university.
The organizations supporting Harvard consider the lawsuit filed by Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) an attack on diversity and inclusion in higher education.
“We have always said that we believe in the consideration of race in admissions as a means of supporting diversity and creating equal opportunity,” Jeannie Park, president of the Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance, said.
The suit, filed in 2014, alleged university of preferring whites, blacks, and Hispanics at the expense of more deserving Asian American students.
Last Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest before the court and alleged the school of rating applicants of Asian-American origin lower on leadership and ability scores.
The university issued a statement rejecting the claims and said, “Harvard does not discriminate against students from any group, and will continue to vigorously defend the legal right of every college and university to consider race as one factor among many in college admissions, which the Supreme Court has consistently upheld for more than 40 years.”
The list of universities, colleges, student and alumni groups coming in support of Harvard’s admission practices is getting longer with each passing day. Last month, 70 colleges filed amicus briefs and called for summary judgment in university’s favor.