DOJ Accuses Yale University of Discriminating Against Asian-American and White Applicants

By Lily Wolfson ’21

Yale University in New Haven, CT (Photo Credit: Yale University)

On August 13, the Justice Department accused Yale University of discriminating against white and Asian-American applicants during its undergraduate admissions procedures.

After a two-year investigation, the Justice Department found that the university violated civil rights laws. For one year, Yale will be forced to forgo the use of ethnicity and race during the admissions process. After that one year ends, the university will have to earn clearance from the government to resume its practice of using race as an application aspect again.

Yale has rendered the allegation “meritless.” The Supreme Court has long supported looking at race and ethnicity in the undergraduate admissions process, a practice the White House has challenged.

Many Asian-American and white students have disputed this allegation and believe that they are not discriminated against during the application process.