Lawyers filed a civil rights complaint Monday against Harvard, claiming the college's legacy admissions "systematically disadvantage applicants of color."

In the wake of the Supreme Court's move to end race-based admissions processes in two cases, one against Harvard and another against the University of North Carolina, Boston-area activists filed the complaint with the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.

They argue affirmative action was a counter to legacy admissions

Harvard College was hit with a complaint on Monday claiming its policy of giving preferences to applicants for undergraduate admissions with family ties to the elite school overwhelmingly benefits white students, days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down its race-conscious admissions policies.

Three civil rights groups filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education claiming that Harvard's preferences for "legacy" applicants violates a federal law banning race discrimination for programs that receive federal funds, as virtually all U.S. colleges and universities do.

A civil rights group is challenging legacy admissions at Harvard University, saying the practice discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair boost to the mostly white children of alumni.

It’s the latest effort in a growing push against legacy admissions, the practice of giving admissions priority to the children of alumni. Backlash against the practice has been building in the wake of last week’s Supreme Court’s decision ending affirmative action in college admissions.