US News
Federal judge allows anti-Asian bias lawsuit against University of Washington to proceed in part
A federal judge dismissed several claims but preserved Title VI discrimination allegations against the university over its admissions practices.
The short version
- A federal judge denied in part a motion to dismiss a lawsuit alleging the University of Washington engaged in discriminatory college admissions practices against Asian American applicants.
- The lawsuit was brought by Nan Zhong and his son Stanley Zhong, who was rejected by 16 of 18 colleges despite high academic credentials before being hired as a Google software engineer.
- While several claims were dismissed, the ruling allows the plaintiff's Title VI claims against the university to move into the discovery phase.
- The University of Washington stated that admission is highly competitive and noted that it prioritizes state residents, while denied claims were welcomed by the institution.
Key facts
- U.S. District Judge James L. Robart denied in part and granted in part a motion to dismiss filed by University of Washington defendants, allowing Stanley Zhong's Title VI claims to move forward.[Fox News]
- Nan Zhong and Stanley Zhong filed lawsuits against institutions including the University of Washington, alleging anti-Asian discrimination in admissions decisions.[Fox News]
- Stanley Zhong scored a 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT, maintained a 4.42 weighted GPA, and was rejected by 16 of the 18 colleges to which he applied.[Fox News]
- Google hired Stanley Zhong as a full-time software engineer in the fall of 2023 following his high school graduation.[Fox News]
- The University of Washington Board of Regents stated that the university prioritizes Washington state residents for admission and praised the court's dismissal of multiple claims and two of the three original plaintiffs.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- The legal outcome of the remaining Title VI claims against the University of Washington as the case moves into discovery.[Fox News]
- The current legal status of the related lawsuits filed by the family against other university systems, including the University of California, University of Michigan, and Cornell University.[Fox News]