Asian parents sue New York education dept. over program they say favors Black, Hispanic students
The federal court filing accuses the state agency of discrimination since the eligibility requirements mean Asian Americans have a harder time getting accepted into the program.
A group of Asian parents sued the New York State Education Department Wednesday over eligibility for a program at 56 colleges and medical schools throughout the state.
According to the New York Post, the Science and Technology Entry Program takes in around 11,000 students in 7th-to-12th grade for classes at colleges in the state.
The program’s webpage states that its goal is to “increase the number of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students prepared to enter college, and improve their participation rate in mathematics, science, technology, health-related fields, and the licensed professions.”
Eligibility for the program is limited to individuals who are “Economically disadvantaged” or “African American, Hispanic/Latino, Alaskan Native or American Indian; and will benefit from academic enrichment.”
The federal court filing accuses the state agency of discrimination since the eligibility requirements mean Asian Americans have a harder time getting accepted into the program.
“In other words, the Hispanic child of a multi-millionaire is eligible to apply to STEP, while an Asian American child whose family earns just above the state’s low- income threshold is not, solely because of her race or ethnicity,” the court filing states, according to the outlet.
“Thirty-nine years of discrimination is enough,” the lawsuit added.
Among those suing the state’s education department is Yiatin Chu, president of Asian Wave Alliance, along with Inclusive Education Advocacy Group, Chinese American Citizens Alliance of Greater New York, and Higher with Our Parent Engagement.
They are being represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation and the Equal Protection Project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation.
Chu told the New York Post that the state is engaging in “outright discrimination against Asian-American students pursuing the STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education] field.”
“The program should be for all students or for low income students. The state is choosing which race is eligible,” she said.
Campus Reform has reached out to the New York State Education Department for comment.
