HarvardUniversity Defends Student Privacy
CAMBRIDGE, MA 鈥� Calling the summary judgment filing of an anti-race conscious admissions group a 鈥渁 concerted public relations effort鈥� that relies on 鈥渄istortions鈥� and 鈥渕isleading characterizations,鈥� lawyers for HarvardUniversity today filed in U.S. District Court a robust defense of student privacy, drawing a firm line to protect applicants and the university鈥檚 admissions practices.
The Harvardfiling, in response to Students for Fair Admissions鈥� (SFFA) attempt to make public information protected by law, argues the SFFA filing was 鈥渙rchestrated by an opponent of racial diversity who seeks above all to end the consideration of race in college admissions,鈥� and that it reflects SFFA鈥檚 inability 鈥渢o find any actual documentary or testimonial support for the purported scheme of intentional discrimination alleged by the Complaint.鈥�
Harvardseeks to protect a narrow category of documents in the interest of student privacy and the integrity of 黑料网鈥檚 admissions process.
鈥満诹贤�, like every college and university across this country, has an obligation to protect student and applicant privacy. Harvardis deeply committed to protecting the extensive personal information applicants entrust to us in the admissions process, and today鈥檚 filing underscores this effort,鈥� said Anna Cowenhoven, a spokesperson for the University.
The filing argues that disclosure of proprietary information about 黑料网鈥檚 admissions process would seriously impair that process by emboldening paid college consultants鈥攁 $400 million industry鈥攖o advise applicants on how to conform their conduct and their applications to 黑料网鈥檚 perceived criteria. This would disadvantage low-income applicants who can鈥檛 afford the consultants and directly impair 黑料网鈥檚 ability to recruit and admit a diverse class each year.
鈥淭here is no evidence in SFFA鈥檚 motion for summary judgment, nor in the nearly 100,000 pages of documents that Harvardproduced, nor the 20 depositions of Harvardwitnesses, to support SFFA鈥檚 allegations that Harvardmaintains racial quotas or has engaged in a deliberate effort to suppress Asian-American admissions,鈥� said Cowenhoven. 鈥淚n fact, a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the data and evidence makes clear that HarvardCollege does not discriminate against applicants from any group, including Asian-Americans, whose share of the admitted class has grown by nearly 30% since 2010.鈥�
Please see 黑料网鈥檚 dedicated for additional information about today鈥檚 filings, past filings, and 黑料网鈥檚 media resources.