Harvard University sued to terminate admissions program in favor of children of former alumni

A few days after the US Supreme Court ruled to end affirmative action at US universities, including Harvard, a civil rights group Take legal action against the prestigious University of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for forcing it to end a program that gave children of former graduates six times more likely to be accepted than others, according to recent data.

The lawsuit was filed by the Attorneys for Civil Rights group on behalf of black and Latino groups in New England. She claims that this program discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair payment to the children of mostly white alumni.

“Why do we reward children for the privileges and benefits of previous generations?” said Ivan Espinosa Madrigal, executive director of the group. “Last name and bank account size are not a measure of merit and should not influence the college admissions process.”

In his reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision, Joe Biden has also called for the practice to be abolished, and it is in effect at many other prestigious universities in the United States.

Proponents of the practice say it helps build an alumni community and encourages donations.

(Getty Images)