A nonprofit is threatening to sue Duke University, claiming the institution has failed to adhere to the Supreme Court's recent ruling banning race-based affirmative action in the college admissions process.
The Students for Fair Admissions group, which successfully sued Harvard University and the University of North Carolina last year, raised concerns about the demographic breakdown of Duke's latest freshman class, the Duke Chronicle reported.
In a Tuesday letter to Duke's general counsel, SFFA President Edward Blum highlighted a 6% drop in the proportion of Asian students enrolled at Duke, from 35% in the Class of 2027 to 29% in the Class of 2028. Blum asserted that such a change is "not possible" under a race-neutral admissions process as mandated by the court's decision.
He also accused the university of not eliminating legacy admissions and claimed that "socioeconomic preferences" would not explain a decrease in Asian student enrollment. Yale and Princeton have also been questioned about their decline in Asian students this year.
In contrast, Asian enrollment at institutions like Harvard, Columbia and MIT were all above 30%, he added.
Blum called for transparency and an explanation for Duke's shift in demographics and warned that failure to respond could lead to litigation, accusing Duke of potentially circumventing the Supreme Court's ruling.
"Duke University is committed to compliance with the law," Frank Tramble, vice president for communications, marketing and public affairs, told The Chronicle in a statement. "We value every student and are excited to welcome another outstanding class."
