By Delano R. Franklin and Samuel W. Zwickel (Harvard Crimson).
As eager freshmen meander about Harvard Yard and President Lawrence S. Bacow settles into his new office, Harvard — and its lawyers — are getting ready to head to federal court.
The University is battling a four-year-old lawsuit brought by anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions that alleges the College discriminates against Asian-Americans in its admissions process. Harvard has repeatedly denied SFFA’s charges, arguing that it must consider race in order to forge a diverse student body and fulfill its educational mission.
The lawsuit heated up along with the summer’s searing temperatures. In June and July, Harvard was forced to publish hundreds of pages of internal documents related to its admissions process as part of the suit. Many revealed the inner workings of the College’s notoriously secretive admissions office, prompting national headlines. The drama wasn’t over, though; just last week, the Justice Department sent shockwaves across the country when it intervened forcefully on the side of the plaintiff and publicly accused Harvard of racial discrimination. Read the Full Article
