The DOJ is moving forward with its investigation into the Harvard University admissions office. Activist groups have accused Harvard of discriminating against Asian-American applicants during the admissions process.
According to a report by the Crimson, the Justice Department has continued its investigation into the Harvard University admissions office.
Breitbart News reported in October that a United States District Court Judge ruled that Harvard does not discriminate against Asian-Americans during the admissions process. The decision, which is likely to be appealed, has not stopped the Justice Department from investigating further.
Samuel R. Bagenstos, a law professor at the University of Michigan who previously worked in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, told the Crimson that it is not unusual for the Justice Department to continue an investigation after the conclusion of a trial.
“It’s not at all uncommon for the Department of Justice to watch and wait,” Bagenstos said. “If there is ongoing litigation going on involving an issue that they’re investigating, they might want to see what emerges from the trial from the litigation that is going on.”
Bagenstos went on to claim that the Justice Department often participates in trials as “friends of the court,” typically arguing in favor of the policy preferences of the current administration.
“They could file an amicus brief on appeal, or participate in oral arguments as amicus. That seems to me quite likely,” Bagenstos added. “The Justice Department does tend to participate in that way in cases that raise important issues that are central to the policy agenda of the current administration, and this fits that, so they could do that.”
University of New Mexico law professor Vinay Harpalani had a more cynical take on the investigation. Harpalani argued that the Trump administration is using the investigation to pressure American colleges and universities into eliminating the use of race is their admission processes.
“Just by conducting the investigation, the Trump Administration is showing that it is willing to challenge race-conscious admissions and to use its resources to do so,” Harpalani said. “This puts pressure on universities to voluntarily reduce or eliminate the use of race as an admissions factor, lest they be subject to federal investigation.”
Harvard isn’t the only institution being investigated by the Justice Department for potential discrimination against Asian-American students. Yale University is also being investigated for similar discriminatory admissions practices.
Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.