Supreme Court Ruling: Use of Race in Admission

by Lyn Newton | More from this Blogger

28 Jun 2007 05:30 PM

In my last article I discussed the two public school districts in Kentucky that were under a lawsuit for using race to determine a student's admission into a specific school.

Several universities have also used race to determine student admission. The University of Georgia Atlanta revised its admission policy that used race to determine admission. Several white women had used the school or threatened lawsuits for discrimination. The women felt that had they been black or men, they would have been admitted. The student body at the school is mainly female and generously accepts male applicants. The school now does not use race or gender to determine admission into the school.

Other universities such as the University of Michigan law school and the University of Texas have used race to determine admission.

In the cases against Kentucky, the court ruled against using race to determine which school a child will attend. The Supreme Court threw out the two districts' plans that took race into consideration. The ruling ended with a five to four vote.

Although the Supreme Court ruled that the schools could not use their race determining factors for student admission, they did leave some lead way for the schools to use race factors under limited circumstances.

Justice Anthony Kennedy was one member of the Supreme Court that believed the schools should be able to use race for admission purposes if they were attempting to create a more diverse student body.

Both of the plans had been supported by the Federal appeals courts. However, the Bush Administration felt that the parents were in the right. It noted that the idea of the school systems to create racial diversity was dignified. Yet it also noted that racial diversity should not be obtained through taking sides or selecting members.

I can see both sides. I understand that the school districts likely had the children and the schools in their best interest. They were trying to unify and keep a balance among society. For so many years the systems had been under the microscope for segregation. This probably is what led them to put even more effort into means of desegregation.

I can also identify with how the parents and students must feel knowing that the only reason they cannot attend a school is due to their race.

Government in Education

Reasons I am Glad I Homeschool

Desegregation and the Supreme Court

Learn more about Lyn Newton

Lyn is a kindergarten teacher and mommy to a girl and a boy. In her spare time, she enjoys informative and creative writing.

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