Appeals court upholds ruling that Harvard admissions process does not discriminate against Asian Americans

A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a 2019 ruling that Harvard University does not discriminate against Asian Americans in admissions, a victory for the university in an affirmative-action case that could be headed to the Supreme Court.

A two-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit found that Harvard’s race-conscious admissions process does not violate civil rights law when the university selects an incoming undergraduate class. In its quest for racial and ethnic diversity, the university acknowledges that it sometimes gives academically qualified applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, including African Americans and Latinos, a positive “tip” that can help their chances of admission.