The Department of Justice announced Thursday afternoon that after a lengthy investigation, federal prosecutors have concluded Yale University illegally discriminated against hundreds of white and asian individuals applying to attend the institution.
"The Department of Justice today notified Yale University of its findings that Yale illegally discriminates against Asian American and white applicants in its undergraduate admissions process in violation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The findings are the result of a two-year investigation in response to a complaint by Asian American groups concerning Yale’s conduct," DOJ released in a statement. "As a condition of receiving millions of dollars in taxpayer funding, Yale expressly agrees to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a cornerstone civil-rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance."
"The Department of Justice found Yale discriminates based on race and national origin in its undergraduate admissions process, and that race is the determinative factor in hundreds of admissions decisions each year. For the great majority of applicants, Asian Americans and whites have only one-tenth to one-fourth of the likelihood of admission as African American applicants with comparable academic credentials. Yale rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race, whom it otherwise would admit," the statement continues (bolding is mine).
Allegations of discrimination have also been made against Harvard, Brown and Dartmouth. DOJ has filed a brief supporting a lawsuit against Harvard. The Dartmouth and Brown case were not supported by DOJ due to a lack of evidence.
Recommended
“There is no such thing as a nice form of race discrimination,” Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division said about the findings. “Unlawfully dividing Americans into racial and ethnic blocs fosters stereotypes, bitterness, and division. It is past time for American institutions to recognize that all people should be treated with decency and respect and without unlawful regard to the color of their skin. In 1890, Frederick Douglass explained that the ‘business of government is to hold its broad shield over all and to see that every American citizen is alike and equally protected in his civil and personal rights.’ The Department of Justice agrees and will continue to fight for the civil rights of all people throughout our nation."
Big-
— Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) August 13, 2020
The DOJ has found that Yale violated the civil rights of applicants "by discriminating on the basis of race and national origin."
"Yale's discrimination is long-standing and ongoing"
Reminder: CNN Contributor @AshaRangappa_ destroyed records of the civil rights violations pic.twitter.com/JR6qvKh0jL
Join the conversation as a VIP Member