Justice Department sues Harvard University over withheld race-related admissions documents

The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Harvard University, alleging that the institution withheld documents related to its admissions process. The lawsuit centers on the university’s use of race as a factor in its admissions decisions.

According to reports, the Justice Department is seeking access to records and data used by Harvard in its admissions process, including information about the university’s policies and procedures for considering applicants’ racial backgrounds. The department claims that it needs this information to determine whether Harvard has complied with federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race.

Harvard University has been at the center of a long-running controversy over its use of race in admissions. In 2014, the university agreed to pay $21 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that it had discriminated against Asian-American applicants. The settlement was reached after a federal court ruled that Harvard’s admissions policies were unconstitutional.

The Justice Department’s lawsuit is the latest development in the ongoing funding battle between the Trump administration and Harvard University. In 2018, the administration announced plans to cut off federal funding for Harvard unless it agreed to certain conditions, including the release of documents related to its admissions process.

As part of the lawsuit, the Justice Department is seeking access to records and data used by Harvard in its admissions process, including information about the university’s policies and procedures for considering applicants’ racial backgrounds. The department claims that it needs this information to determine whether Harvard has complied with federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race.

Harvard University has not commented publicly on the lawsuit, but the institution has previously stated that it will comply with any requests from the Justice Department for records and data related to its admissions process.

Source: Google News World