Harvard's admission secrets same as 'Coke recipe' safekeeping

Washington D.C [USA] Apr 11 (ANI): The secrets of the admission procedure of the Harvard University for freshmen have been compared to the safekeeping of soft drink secrets.

In a lawsuit against the university's use of race while choosing a freshman class, a judge laid out the process for protecting the information about the inner workings of its admissions.

U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs told lawyers, "You don't need to put the recipe for Coke into the motion. But you can allude to the fact that there is a recipe for Coke," reported The Washington Post.

The main arguments in the court session were whether Harvard's admissions practices discriminate against high-achieving Asian Americans who seek to attend the prestigious university.

A group called 'Students for Fair Admissions' argued that students were unjustly turned away because of their race.

The group had many documents and other internal information through pre-trial discovery to show that the university's policies violate the civil rights of Asian Americans.

Harvard, however, denied the allegation, saying that it had a compelling educational interest in assembling a diverse student body, the report further said.

The case is heading towards a trial in mid-October.

However, before the trial, the complainant group plans to seek a summary judgment. They want to include as much relevant information as possible about Harvard's admissions process when they file that motion.

The Justice Department, which is conducting its own investigation of Harvard's use of race in admissions, is backing disclosure of the procedure.

The department wrote to the court, "Applicants to Harvard, their families, and the general public have a presumptively paramount right to access the summary judgment record in this civil rights case."

This case could have broader implications for college admissions nationwide. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI