Story highlights The Justice Department's interest in Harvard's policies stems from a 2015 federal complaintIt has concluded the school is "out of compliance" with federal lawWashington (CNN) The Justice Department is actively investigating Harvard University's use of race in its admissions policies and has concluded the school is "out of compliance" with federal law, according to documents obtained by CNN. The Justice Department's battle with Harvard potentially sets the stage for the first major legal test of affirmative action policies under the Trump administration. Last year, the US Supreme Court ruled that race can be one among many factors universities use in making admission decisions. Two letters from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division indicate that Harvard has challenged the department's authority to investigate, and further state that if the school fails to provide documents to the department by December 1, the agency may file a lawsuit against the school. "As we have repeatedly made clear to the Department of Justice, the university will certainly comply with its obligations under Title VI.

Source: CNN November 21, 2017 14:18 UTC