DOJ Investigation Finds Yale Illegally Discriminates Against Asians and Whites in Undergraduate Admissions in Violation of Federal Civil-Rights Law

A Justice Department investigation found that Yale University illegally discriminates against Asian Americans and White Americans in undergraduate admissions in violation of civil-rights law.

The Department of Justice opened an investigation into Yale in 2018 in response to a complaint alleging Yale discriminates against Asians in its admission process.

The DOJ threatened a lawsuit without changes within two weeks.

INBOX: DOJ Finds Yale Illegally Disciminates against Asians and Whites in Undergraduate Admissions in Violation of Federal Civil-Rights Law.

Department threatens suit without changes within two weeks. https://t.co/n73kO56gm3

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 13, 2020

“Yale grants substantial, and often determinative, preferences based on race to certain racially-favored applicants and relatively and significantly disfavors other applicants because of their race,” a letter from the Justice Department said after a 2-year investigation.

“Yale’s race discrimination imposes undue and unlawful penalties on racially-disfavored applicants, including in particular Asian American and White applicants.”

“For example, the likelihood of admission for Asian American and White applicants who have similar academic credentials is significantly lower than for African American and Hispanic applicants to Yale College. For the great majority of applicants, Asian American and White applicants have only one-tenth to one-fourth of the likelihood of admission as African American applicants with comparable academic credentials.”

The Justice Department went on to say that since Yale receives federal funding, it is subject to Title VI’s anti-discrimination mandate.

“There is no such thing as a nice form of race discrimination,” Assistant Attorney General Civil Rights Division Eric Dreiband said in the statement.

“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.”

Yale has two weeks to make changes.

“Please be advised that if Yale does not agree to this remedial measure by August 27, 2020, we may determine that “compliance cannot be secured by voluntary means..the Department will be prepared to file a lawsuit to enforce Yale’s Title VI obligations.”