J.D. Vance accuses colleges of admissions collusion, calls for FTC investigation
Vance alleged 'collusive behavior by colleges and universities, particularly as it relates to new admissions policies adopted in the aftermath of the Harvard College decision.'
Vance originally sent a letter to several schools about his concern over their 'openly defiant and potentially unlawful reaction to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision.'
Ohio Senator J.D. Vance sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission calling for an investigation into potential collusion among some of the country’s top universities.
The August 10 letter, addressed to FTC Chair Lina Khan, accuses the schools of “collusive behavior” and attempting to circumvent the Supreme Court’s ban on race-based admissions.
Vance originally sent a letter to all of the Ivy League schools, along with Oberlin College and Kenyon College, about his concern over their “openly defiant and potentially unlawful reaction to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision.” It also included a warning of a potential investigation along with a series of questions asking how the schools planned to comply with the ruling.
[RELATED: J.D. Vance slams elite colleges’ ‘intention to circumvent’ SCOTUS on affirmative action]
In his letter to the FTC, Vance describes the responses he received as “generalized and dismissive statements.” He also notes their “uncanny similarity, both in substance and structure.”
He further explains the similarities he found, saying the letters were “roughly the same length,” almost all were “sent to me on the same day,” and each one “promised to comply with the Supreme Court’s decision in more or less identical phrasing.”
“Nearly all schools argued that…diversity can be achieved without running afoul of the Supreme Court’s ruling,” Vance said. “No school gave a detailed account of how they would commit to diversity without reestablishing race-based preferences. Nor did any school address my concern that race-based preferences would be or could be reestablished in secret, under the auspices of “diversity statements” and other subversive devices.”
“It is hard to believe that the schools responding to my letter could achieve such remarkable parallels in the absence of coordination or collusion,” he added.
[RELATED: Harvard revamps application questions following affirmative action ruling]
“I humbly propose that collusive behavior by colleges and universities, particularly as it relates to new admissions policies adopted in the aftermath of the Harvard College decision, may be a worthy subject for a 6(b) study,” Vance concluded.
The request references section 6(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which requires corporations to provide “reports or answers in writing to specific questions, furnishing to the Commission such information as it may require as to the organization, business, conduct, practices, management, and relation to other corporations.”
Campus Reform has contacted all of the schools who received Senator Vance’s letter and asked them to clarify the alleged similarities found in their letters. Senator Vance has also been asked if he has received a response from the FTC regarding a potential investigation. This article will be updated if and when comment is received.
