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Asian-American group says Harvard discriminates

NEW YORK — A coalition of more than 60 Asian-American groups filed a federal discrimination action against Harvard University, claiming racial bias in undergraduate admissions. The administrative complaint follows the filing of a lawsuit in federal court against Harvard in November.

In this 2012, file photo, people tour on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachussets. On May 15, 2015, the Asian-American group filed a federal discrimination action against Harvard University claiming racial bias in undergraduate admissions. Photo: AP

In this 2012, file photo, people tour on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachussets. On May 15, 2015, the Asian-American group filed a federal discrimination action against Harvard University claiming racial bias in undergraduate admissions. Photo: AP

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NEW YORK — A coalition of more than 60 Asian-American groups filed a federal discrimination action against Harvard University, claiming racial bias in undergraduate admissions. The administrative complaint follows the filing of a lawsuit in federal court against Harvard in November.

The administrative complaint filed Friday (May 15) with the US Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights claims Asian-American students with almost perfect college entrance-exam scores, high grade-point averages, academic awards and leadership positions are more likely to be rejected than similar applicants of other races.

Harvard denies discriminating.

The complaint, also filed with the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, reflects longstanding concern among academically high-performing Asian-Americans that they’re held to a higher admissions standard at elite US colleges.

While Harvard officials hadn’t seen the complaint, Mr Robert Iuliano, the school’s general counsel, said in a statement that the college’s admissions policies comply fully with the law and are essential to the school’s mission.

In November, Students for Fair Admissions, a group which said it represents unidentified college applicants, filed a federal lawsuit in Boston against Harvard’s governing board, alleging that the school illegally limited admissions of Asian-Americans. The same group also filed a federal suit against the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill in November. In its answer filed March 24 in federal court, the university “expressly denied” that it discriminates “in any aspect of UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate admissions”.

Asian-Americans represent 5.6 per cent of the US population. At Harvard, Asian-Americans made up 21 per cent of the freshman class admitted in March, more than any other group other than whites. In 2006, the percentage was 17.7. Harvard this year accepted 5.3 per cent of all applicants, second to Stanford University in its selectivity, the schools said. BLOOMBERG

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