The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will review a high profile case of affirmative action in higher education admissions.
The SCOTUS will take another look at a lawsuit Abigail Fischer filed in 2008 when she was denied entry to the University of Texas (UT) - Austin, the Washington Post reported. The court voted 7-to-1 in 2013 in favor of sending the case to a lower appeals court.
Fisher, a white woman, claimed she was passed over so the school could admit more minority applicants. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit sided with UT - Austin's diversity program, reasoning that it was crafted in such a way to make it fair for all.
Fisher's lawyers argued the appeals court did not properly examine UT - Austin's diversity program and how racial preference affected admissions, the Post noted.
According to the New York Times, the impending decision from the SCOTUS would have major implications on affirmative action programs at the nation's most selective colleges and universities. However, opponents and supporters of such programs agree that if the court agrees with Fisher, black and Latino enrollment at elite institutions would certainly drop.
"Over the last few days, liberals have been celebrating a string of important victories involving health care and same-sex marriage," Justin Driver, a law professor at the University of Chicago, told the Times. "But liberals have also been bracing themselves for the other shoe to drop. This decision to grant review means, at a minimum, that the other shoe will remain suspended in midair for the next several months."
Newly elected president at UT - Austin, Gregory Fenves released a statement concerning the SCOTUS' decision to review the case in which he defended the program in place.
"Under the Supreme Court's existing precedent, the university's commitment to using race as one factor in an individualized, holistic admissions policy allows us to assemble a student body that brings with it the educational benefits of diversity for all students," he said. "Our admissions policy is narrowly-tailored, constitutional and has been upheld by the courts multiple times. We look forward to making our arguments before the Supreme Court later this year."
