Harvard Faces Federal Probe Over Legacy Admissions Complaint (1)

The US Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating whether Harvard University discriminates by giving preference to undergraduate applicants with connections to donors and alumni, according to a letter by the agency.

The probe is in response to allegations by a group of civil rights lawyers. They say Harvard’s use of so-called legacy preferences violates a law that prohibits all educational institutions from receiving federal funding if they discriminate on the basis “of race, color or national origin in any programs or activity.”

Read More: Defiant Harvard Hunts New Model to Keep Diversity After Defeat

Colleges are under increasing ...