CAMBRIDGE, MA - After two watchdog groups filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Dept. of Justice on Wednesday confirmed they have initiated an investigation into Harvard's admissions procedures.

The FOIA request, jointly submitted by American Oversight and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law on Sept. 1, seeks information on affirmative action cases at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill (UNC). The FOIA response does not specifically mention Harvard University, but it does specify that there were no "responsive documents" about any kind of "investigation of admissions policies, practices, procedures or criteria" at UNC.

On Thursday, Harvard University spokesperson Rachel Dane issued a statement from the Cambridge school. "To become leaders in our diverse society, students must have the ability to work with people from different backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives. Harvard remains committed to enrolling diverse classes of students. Harvard's admissions process considers each applicant as a whole person, and we review many factors, consistent with the legal standards established by the U.S. Supreme Court."

The request followed a New York Times report in August that said the Trump administration intended to up the Justice Department's efforts to target universities whose admissions policies it deemed discriminatory against white applicants.

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Following the Times report, Justice Department spokesperson Sarah Isgur Flores said in a statement that the investigation would likely focus on complaints that were filed accusing Harvard of discriminating against Asian Americans in its undergraduate admissions processes.



"This Department of Justice has not received or issued any directive, memorandum, initiative, or policy related to university admissions in general," Flores's statement read.



The 2015 complaint alleges that Harvard and other Ivy League colleges deny Asian-American applicants with "almost perfect" SAT scores, "top 1% GPAs," and "significant awards or leadership positions," while applicants of other races have been admitted. In July of 2015, the U.S. Department of Education dismissed the suit "This Department of Justice has not received or issued any directive, memorandum, initiative, or policy related to university admissions in general," according to Flores's statement.