AACE Urges Unfairly Rejected Asian American Students to
File Complaint and/or Join in SFFA Lawsuit against Medical Schools
A. File Complaint with the Office for Civil Rights, the U.S. Department of Education
Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark rulings in SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC in 2023, which banned the use of race and race proxies in college admissions, some colleges continue to find unlawful ways to circumvent these decisions, continuing discrimination against Asian American applicants.
The good news is: The U.S. Department of Education’s “Dear Colleague Letter,” issued through the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), reinforces colleges’ obligation to fully comply with the Supreme Court’s SFFA rulings. It explicitly bans race proxies, stating that their use—whether individual or systemic—is unlawful, and warns that eliminating standardized testing to manipulate racial diversity is illegal. The OCR pledges to hold institutions accountable for discrimination and encourages individuals to file complaints if they believe they have been unfairly treated.
To eradicate anti-Asian discrimination in college admissions, AACE urges all affected Asian-American applicants—particularly those unfairly rejected by Yale University, Duke University, or the University of California—to report their cases to the OCR.
Information about filing a complaint with OCR, including a link to the online complaint form, is available here: OCR: Discrimination Complaint Form | U.S. Department of Education. If yu plan to file a complaint, please contact Info@AsianAmericanForEducation.org to consult with AACE.
B. Join in SFFA’s Lawsuit against UCLA Medical School
For decades, Asian American applicants have faced severe discrimination in the admissions process of American medical schools. In early May, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), in collaboration with Do No Harm, filed a lawsuit against UCLA Medical School over its race-based admissions policies.
A successful outcome in this lawsuit would mark a crucial step toward eliminating anti-Asian discrimination in medical schools across the country. In response, AACE urges eligible students to join SFFA’s legal fight.
SFFA needs students currently enrolled in college who meet one of the following criteria:
- Attend a certain type of school, for instance, a school with a small percentage of Hispanics, such as University of Maryland (UMD);
- Hope to attend medical (premed) school in the near future; or
- Was unfairly rejected from UCLA Medical School.
If you or your children meet the above criteria, please join SFFA’s lawsuit! The contact information is:
- Edward Blum: edwardjayblum@gmail.com
- Eva Guo: sffa2020@outlook.com
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 landmark rulings in SFFA v. Harvard/UNC affirm that Asian Americans can play a vital role in advocating for equal educational rights. To drive meaningful change, we must speak up and actively join the fight for fairness and justice in education.
Thanks for your courage to join the fight!
Asian American Coalition for Education