In the Spotlight
David Hawkins June 29, 2023
From Slay News
The Supreme Court dealt a massive blow to the Democrats by ruling that affirmative action admission policies of Harvard and the University of North Carolina, which gave weight to a would-be student’s race, are unconstitutional.
Thursday’s 6-3 decision will force a reworking of admissions criteria throughout American higher education and its pursuit of diversity above all else.
University officials have long claimed that this was the only to ensure that a representative share of minority applicants—particularly black students—gains admission to selective institutions.
The court’s six conservative justices invalidated Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions scheme by ruling they did not comply with the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection.
According to The Wall Street Journal:
The 14th Amendment ensures that individuals receive equal protection of the laws from state agencies including public universities, a standard that also applies to most private colleges that receive federal funding.
In general, the court has permitted racial preferences only to remedy specific acts of illegal discrimination, not compensate for general social injustices said to stem from historical practices.
For 45 years, the Supreme Court has recognized a limited exception to that rule for university admissions, one based on the schools’ academic freedom to assemble classes that support their educational mission.
Diversity was a compelling interest, the court had found, and race-conscious admissions as implemented at Harvard and similar schools were narrowly tailored to avoid unnecessarily disadvantaging other applicants.
