You’re probably not alone thinking this because of all the noise about affirmative action. Academia is quite different behind the curtain than for students. Sure, they like hiring women because it helps improve their statistics, but the educational background, including institutions where the candidate did their undergrad and PhD is much more important.
technically there is one possibility: someone got into better schools due to AA, that benefits all things thereafter including possibly the case here. For those who lost the first chance due to AA, the lost is not over yet, unfortunately.
Legacy admits counted as much at many places that were segregated in living memory (so a more limited chain of legacies for formerly discriminated races).
