分析：司法部发表声明支持亚裔起诉哈佛

8月30日美国司法部发表正式声明（Statement of Interest）支持SFFA（Students for Fair Admissions）代表亚裔起诉哈佛，对十月份的联邦法官和后续很可能牵涉的巡回法院法官和最高法院都形成很大压力。

• 司法部官网声明要点 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-statement-interest-harvard-discrimination-case-defending-claim-0

• 声明全文 https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1090856/download

分析

声明很长，我们（Asian American Rights Association）还需要更详细分析。从目前已知的信息，我们分析出以下几点供大家参考：

1. 一针见血地批驳了所谓“哈佛是私校，所以有权以任何方式录取”的的误解。原文——“As a recipient of taxpayer dollars, Harvard has a responsibility to conduct its admissions policy without racial discrimination by using meaningful admissions criteria that meet lawful requirements. ”

2. 解释了司法部介入此案的法理，并且为司法部长期支持我们反AA做出了承诺。原文——“The Department of Justice has the responsibility to protect the civil rights of the American people. This case is significant because the admissions policies at our colleges and universities are important and must be conducted lawfully.”今后如果司法部对此案和类似诉讼不作为，司法部自己将面对法律诉讼。

3. 声明也痛击了最近芝加哥大学等一些学校录取标准中放弃SAT分数这样消除客观标准、用主观因素制造种族配额的手段。这为司法部今后追求平等、打击类似操作设下了伏笔，也是对一些持观望态度学校和公司的警告。Harvard’s admissions process takes many things into consideration, among them a ‘personal rating’. The Department of Justice statement says this is based on ‘subjective factors’ and could amount to discrimination。

4. 指出与此案同时，司法部2017年开始了基于AACE领导的complaint对哈佛进行调查，这是打开如果法官对此案判决不利就由司法部直接介入的门。The Department opened a Title VI investigation into Harvard’s admissions process in 2017 based upon a complaint filed by more than 60 Asian-American organizations.

5. 司法部声明大量引用了SFFA六月十五日的motion.尤其是关于哈佛内部报告得出录取中亚裔被主观性“likability”打分压制却对此报告毫无作为的铁证。Finally, the Justice Department has determined that Harvard—while using race to make admissions decisions for more than 45 years—has never seriously considered alternative, race-neutral ways to compile a diverse student body, which it is required to do under existing law. 这从侧面说明政治中的细节非常重要，SFFA六月份的声明为今天司法部的声明奠定了基础。同理，我们关注此案的亚裔也要明白这样日积月累才能有实效的道理。

6. 指出哈佛自己承认用race作为录取的衡量因素，但是哈佛并未能证明他们使用race的过程中未形成种族歧视，因此原告起诉成立。Harvard admits that it uses race to decide whether to admit certain applicants to the college. Under Supreme Court precedent, Harvard must demonstrate that its use of race does not result in illegal discrimination. Harvard has failed to do so, and the Department filed a Statement of Interest that argues the plaintiffs should be allowed to proceed to a trial.

7. 指出哈佛用了“personal rating”这个黑箱操作手段，并且承认他们系统性地给亚裔打低分。Harvard admits that, on average, it scores Asian-American applicants lower on this “personal rating” than applicants of other races.

8. 指出充足证据证明哈佛一直监测并操纵录取中的种族配额，有很清楚的违宪证据。Substantial evidence also demonstrates that Harvard admissions officers and committees consistently monitor and manipulate the racial makeup of incoming classes, which has resulted in stable racial demographics in Harvard’s admitted classes from year to year. The Supreme Court has called such attempts to “racially balance” the makeup of a student body “patently unconstitutional.”

9. 司法部的声明时间点也很有韵味。按照传统，九月四号劳动节之后是今年中期选举正式启动冲刺阶段的日子。为了能让Judge Kavanaugh在十月一号最高法院新term之前上任，能参与所有新任期的诉讼，共和党已经安排九月四号当天，参议院司法委员会开始Kavanaugh的任命听证，将开始媒体和两党之间各种炮轰。选在今天发布这个声明，算是避开了各种抓眼球大新闻的眼球压力。美国媒体的另一个传统是：星期五尤其星期五下午是发表各种希望尽量少选民了解消息的时间点，因为周末尤其是长周末选民们都忙自己的小家。这个声明也避开了周五的时间点。选择周四算是有个相当不错的态度，给媒体和读者更大机会了解到这一动态。

SFFA声明

Edward Blum, president of SFFA said, “Students for Fair Admissions is gratified that, after careful analysis of the evidence submitted in this case, the US Department of Justice has concluded Harvard’s admissions policies are in violation of our nation’s civil rights laws.” 
Blum added, “We look forward to having the gravely troubling evidence that Harvard continues to keep redacted disclosed to the American public in the near future.”

反方意见

Liberal groups blasted the Justice Department.
“The Sessions Justice Department’s intervention in this case opposes constitutionally sound strategies that colleges and universities are using to expand educational opportunity for students of all backgrounds,” said Vanita Gupta, president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “This is one more example of the administration’s contempt for efforts to build a more inclusive, just society.”

###

【编者按】本文仅代表作者观点，不代表APAPA Ohio及OCAA官方立场。更多精彩文章，请查看我们公众号的主页。欢迎大家积极投稿！所有图片均来自网络。如果存在版权问题，请与我们联系。

【近期文章】

关于APAPA Ohio 公众号

APAPA Ohio公众号是APAPA Ohio在俄亥俄华人协会(OCAA)的支持下办的公众号，旨在为俄亥俄的亚裔群体、尤其是华人群体提供一个分享、交流、互助的平台，宣传APAPA Ohio 、OCAA和其他亚裔团体的活动，促进亚裔社区对美国社会、政治、文化、教育、法律等的了解。APAPA的全名是Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (美国亚太联盟)，是在美国联邦政府注册的501(c)(3)非营利组织，网址：OhioCAA.org。