Teen Rejected By 16 Colleges, Hired By Google, Sues For Racial Discrimination

A Palo Alto teen who was hired by Google for an alleged PhD-level position aft being rejected by 16 colleges is taking civilian action against nan University of California (UC) and different colleges for their admissions policies.

Stanley Zhong and his father, Nan Zhong, revenge civilian authorities complaints successful February and March, accusing nan UC system, nan University of Washington, nan University of Michigan and Cornell University of engaging successful "racially discriminatory admissions practices that disadvantage highly qualified Asian-American applicants."

Stanley, 19, is simply a self-taught programmer who was first recruited for a occupation astatine Google astatine conscionable 13 years old. While still successful precocious school, he launched a free e-signing startup that was featured by Amazon Web Services and qualified arsenic a finalist successful respective coding competitions. 

Beyond these master accomplishments, he besides classed successful nan apical 9% of his graduating class, pinch a 4.42 weighted GPA and 1590 SAT people (99th percentile).

Stanley Zhong received a full-time occupation connection from Google for a position "requiring a PhD aliases balanced applicable experience," his family's suit says. (Nan Zhong)

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"Despite Stanley’s exceptional world achievements and singular master accomplishments astatine a young age, his applications to nan undergraduate programs astatine 5 University of California campuses were either rejected aliases waitlisted. These results guidelines successful stark opposition to his receipt of a full-time occupation connection from Google for a position requiring a Ph.D. grade aliases balanced applicable experience," nan title continues.

"Stanley’s acquisition is emblematic of a broader shape of group favoritism against highly qualified Asian-American applicants astatine UC. These admissions practices break nan Fourteenth Amendment to nan United States Constitution, Title VI of nan Civil Rights Act of 1964, and nan California Constitution's prohibition connected group favoritism successful nationalist education," it states.

Stanley's father, Nan, told Fox News Digital that he was initially amazed to study that Stanley had been rejected by 16 of nan 18 colleges he had applied to. After sharing his communicative pinch nan media, Zhong said that Asian American families from each complete nan state reached retired to opportunity they had akin experiences. 

His title states that aggregate assemblage admissions counselors who reviewed Stanley's grounds told him that they could spot nary "legitimate logic why Stanley was rejected."

Stanley Zhong graduated from Henry M. Gunn High School successful Palo Alto, California, pinch a 4.42 GPA and 1590 SAT score. (Nan Zhong)

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Zhong said their family spent complete a twelvemonth looking for answers earlier coming to nan conclusion that location was a "widespread" problem of anti-Asian favoritism astatine elite universities.

The Zhongs reached retired to California authorities lawmakers, Gov. Gavin Newsom, and nan U.S. Department of Education astir these concerns without immoderate success.

"So location is conscionable this weird acquisition of cipher seems to beryllium wanting to touch it. I fishy possibly they don't cognize what to opportunity because if they travel retired supporting us, past they would somewhat contradict their anterior governmental narrative. But if they travel retired and support UC, that would make them look stupid. I conjecture that nan only point they tin do is conscionable not touch it. So pinch each those rejections, stonewalling and being ignored, we yet came to nan conclusion that nan suit is nan only measurement [forward]" Zhong told Fox News Digital.

In a landmark ruling successful June 2023, nan Supreme Court declared that race-based admissions practices were unconstitutional. The case, brought by a conjugation of Asian-American students against Harvard University and nan University of North Carolina, was handed down aft Stanley Zhong had applied to colleges for nan Fall 2023 semester.

A personification protests extracurricular nan Supreme Court successful Washington, Thursday, June 29, 2023. The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action successful assemblage admissions, declaring title cannot beryllium a facet and forcing institutions of higher acquisition to look for caller ways to execute divers student bodies. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

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Zhong's complaints, which he says were mostly written by AI, allege group admissions practices still beryllium astatine nan universities he is targeting pinch lawsuits, contempt nan precocious court's ruling. 

One illustration successful nan title cites national grants fixed to UC schools for gathering enrollment goals for Hispanic students.

"Despite claiming it does not support group targets, UC actively pursues Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) position astatine each its campuses. HSI nickname requires astatine slightest 25% Hispanic student enrollment," nan California title states.

Stanley Zhong's begetter Nan says his boy faced group favoritism aft he was rejected by 16 colleges he applied to. (Nan Zhong)

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Nan Zhong said they are prepared to return their lawsuit each nan measurement to nan Supreme Court successful bid to conflict for fairness and transparency successful assemblage admissions practices, peculiarly for early Asian applicants.

"I deliberation these group are really ruining Asian-American kids, and someway they're emotion bully astir it. That's nan portion I really cannot tolerate," he said.

The U.S. Department of Education is listed arsenic a co-defendant successful nan Zhongs' California lawsuit, successful which they situation "the usage of group targets successful its national assistance programs" and allege nan section had "failed to analyse UC’s racially discriminatory practices" aft it closed their title pinch their Office of Civil Rights.

The U.S. Department of Education is listed arsenic a co-defendant successful nan Zhongs' California lawsuit (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)

The University of California responded to nan suit successful a connection to Fox News Digital: "The University of California intends to vigorously take sides our admittance practices. We judge this to beryllium a meritless suit that seeks to distract america from our ngo to supply California students pinch a world-class education."

"Since the consideration of title successful admissions was banned successful California successful 1996, nan University of California has adjusted its undergraduate admissions practices to comply pinch nan law. We guidelines by our admittance policies and our grounds of expanding entree for each qualified students. The UC undergraduate admissions application collects students’ title and ethnicity for statistical purposes only. This accusation is not shared pinch exertion reviewers and is not utilized for admission." 

A spokesperson for nan University of Washington told Fox News Digital, "The UW stands down its admissions process, and we person agelong recognized that our capacity is constricted and we are not capable to admit immoderate very talented and tin applicants. We are reviewing nan suit and will apt person nary further remark while nan ineligible process is ongoing."

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Cornell University and Gov. Newsom's agency declined to comment.

The University of Michigan and nan U.S. Department of Education did not respond to a petition for comment.

Stanley Zhong was accepted astatine nan University of Maryland and nan University of Texas-Austin but decided to return a occupation connection arsenic a package improvement technologist astatine Google successful nan autumn of 2023 instead.