Harvard University’s dean of admissions testified under oath that Asian-American applicants are held to a higher standard than all other races when it comes to SAT scores.
William Fitzsimmons has been the dean of admissions at Harvard for the past 30 years. In Day 4 of the discrimination lawsuit filed against Harvard by a group of Asian-American students, Fitzsimmons testified that African-Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanic applicants can be accepted into Harvard with SAT scores as low as 1100 (out of a possible 1600).
In contrast, Asian-Americans need to score at least 250 points higher – 1350 for women and 1380 for men – to gain admittance, Fox News reported.
‘That’s Race Discrimination, Plain And Simple’
“That’s race discrimination, plain and simple,” said John Hughes, the attorney for the Students For Fair Admissions (SFFA), the group representing the Asian-American plaintiffs.
William Fitzsimmons claimed it wasn’t discrimination, saying it’s necessary to consider lower test scores for certain groups because otherwise they might not be admitted.
“Harvard has engaged in, and continues to engage in, intentional discrimination against Asian-Americans,” said Adam Mortara, another attorney for SFFA.
As the Inquisitr previously reported, Harvard is being sued for discriminating against Asian-Americans through the use of racial quotas designed to artificially limit their representation in the student body.
Harvard has admitted that it considers race in its admissions process and employs affirmative-action programs designed to promote certain minority groups, but denied that it actively discriminates against Asians.
If Harvard admitted students based solely on the applicant scoring in the top decile of an "academic index" (=test scores + HS performance), the racial/ethnic composition of its freshman class would be expected to change as follows:
White -6%
Black -94%
Hispanic -82%
Asian +108% pic.twitter.com/goSlpHpRaf— Timofey Pnin (@pnin1957) October 15, 2018
In August 2018, the Department of Justice said it reviewed the evidence and concluded that the Asian students “presented compelling evidence that Harvard’s use of race unlawfully discriminates against Asian-Americans.”
The Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) claimed in court filings that “an Asian-American male applicant with a 25 percent chance of admission would have a 35 percent chance if he were white, 75 percent chance if he were Hispanic, and 95 percent chance if he were black.”
Asian Admissions Rate To Harvard Is The Lowest Of All Races
While Harvard denies it discriminates against Asians, its data suggest otherwise.
Asian applicants to Harvard had the lowest admissions rate compared to every other race between 1995 and 2013, according to court files published by the Harvard Crimson.
Special Report: Asian-American Harvard applicants saw the lowest acceptance rate of any racial group between 1995 and 2013, per an analysis of court data. https://t.co/Cj83VOIjDj pic.twitter.com/YN2oJXmhjf
— The Harvard Crimson (@thecrimson) October 19, 2018
The average admission rate for Asian-American applicants was 8.1 percent, while white applicants saw an average acceptance rate of 11.1 percent.
Meanwhile, African-American applicants saw an average acceptance rate of 13.2 percent, while Hispanic-Americans saw an average acceptance rate of 10.6 percent.
Justice Department: Harvard Discriminates Against Asians
“Substantial evidence further shows that, with this elusory use of race, Harvard engineers its admissions process to produce an admitted class that replicates its desired racial balance year in, and year out,” according to a brief filed by the Department of Justice.
The DOJ said Harvard has a responsibility to be fair in its admissions process because it receives more than $550 million a year in federal funding.
Critics say Harvard can use whatever admissions standards it wants to, but then it shouldn’t accept taxpayer money, which makes it subject to federal anti-discrimination laws.
The lawsuit against Harvard is expected to continue for at least three weeks. Observers say no matter what the outcome of this case, it will likely be appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which will decide on the fate of controversial affirmative-action policies.