(FeaturedNews.com) – Justices in the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) are currently tackling several hot-button issues. A recent decision to hear a landmark case highlights their willingness to take on almost anything.
On January 24, the Supreme Court decided to take on affirmative action. The cases at the center of the issue involve claims that Harvard University and the University of North Carolina discriminated against Asian Americans during the application process due to affirmative action policies.
Lower courts previously refused to hear the case, citing nearly four decades of precedent. Courts have a history of siding with affirmative action; higher judicial bodies have consistently sided with schools’ right to consider race during the application process. Changes on the bench open the door to a second look at this polarizing policy.
The Supreme Court will hear lawsuits claiming that Harvard and the University of North Carolina discriminate against Asian American applicants. A decision against the schools could mean the end of affirmative action in college admissions.https://t.co/hGYh4uzEom
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 24, 2022
Harvard University lawyers say they used legal race-based practices in their application process. The University of North Carolina’s attorneys asserted that their policies help ensure diversity within the student body and fall within the law’s boundaries.
The Supreme Court last heard an affirmative action case in 2016 when it upheld programs that allow schools to consider race in acceptance decisions. In a majority opinion, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy recognized that schools are responsible for balancing diversity and upholding the constitutional right to equality. Only two of the members present on the bench at the time remain present in the Court today; this ruling could be substantially different.
Copyright 2022, FeaturedNews.com
