Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Audrey Anderson was interviewed on the Bloomberg Law podcast about the government’s latest lawsuit against Harvard University alleging that the university failed to supply data and documentation in response to a compliance review into the admissions process at the institution. The lawsuit was filed February 13 and the compliance review stems from the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that found race-conscious university admissions programs to be unconstitutional.
In describing the types of data the Trump administration is looking for, Audrey referenced “race neutral” factors – socio-economic status, geographic factors – that the government claims Harvard is using in place of race to create a diverse student body. “The government wants this data … to prove that Harvard is using these race neutral factors for a racial purpose,” said Audrey.
Audrey also suggested that Harvard will likely claim that this is the latest example of retaliation against the university for speaking out negatively about the Trump administration. The institution currently has two cases against the government on appeal related to funding and international student visas.
The full episode,” Suit to Stop Erasing History & Harvard Sued,” was released by Bloomberg Law on February 18 and is available online or wherever you get your podcast content.