Daily Times

A US judge ruled that Harvard is right to consider race when admitting students, rejecting claims that the prestigious university discriminates against Asian-American applicants.

A lawsuit, backed by President Donald Trump’s administration, had challenged Harvard’s use of race in determining admissions, part of a decades-old push to boost minority enrollments at America’s oldest university.

Federal Judge Allison Dale Burroughs said in a long-awaited decision that while Harvard’s admissions process is not perfect, it was right, for now, to factor in the race to form a diverse student body.

A US judge on Tuesday ruled that Harvard is right to consider race when admitting students, rejecting claims that the prestigious university discriminates against Asian-American applicants.

A lawsuit, backed by President Donald Trump’s administration, had challenged Harvard’s use of race in determining admissions, part of a decades-old push to boost minority enrolments at America’s oldest university.

Federal Judge Allison Dale Burroughs said in a long-awaited decision that while Harvard’s admissions process is not perfect, it was right, for now, to factor in the race to form a diverse student body.

It says race is just one of many factors taken into account during the admissions process. “The court will not dismantle a very fine admissions program that passes constitutional muster, solely because it could do better,” Burroughs said in her decision.

The university noted during the three-week non-jury civil trial last October that its proportion of students of Asian origin has increased substantially since 2010. Harvard’s lawyer, William Lee, said Tuesday’s ruling represented “a significant victory” for all schools and students.

Trump’s administration backed the suit, asserting that Harvard engages in “racial balancing” that limits numbers of students of Asian origin to create space for people of other racial groups.