Legal foundation responds to landmark SCOTUS decision on affirmative action
'For too long, colleges have engaged in racial discrimination in the name of so-called diversity.'
Southeastern Legal Foundation, a “nonprofit legal organization dedicated to defending liberty and Rebuilding the American Republic,” responded Thursday to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision rejecting the use of race as a factor for admissions to American colleges and universities.
“We are pleased with the Supreme Court’s ruling today. For too long, colleges have engaged in racial discrimination in the name of so-called diversity,” said SLF General Counsel Kimberly Hermann said. “It is time that they be held accountable to the Constitution and our nation’s most basic promise of equality.”
[RELATED: Harvard responds, suggests it will continue to consider race via loophole in SCOTUS decision]
SLF had previously filed an amicus brief in support of Students for Fair Admissions, who brought forth both initial cases against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. In it’s brief, SLF argued that Harvard’s practice of racial balancing through admissions was unconstitutional.
“By focusing on race from the very beginning of a college student’s experience, colleges like Harvard are just teaching students to obsess over race during their time on campus,” Director of SLF’s 1A Project Cece O’Leary said. “As a result, we’ve seen more polarization and segregation on campus.”
[RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: ‘F**k all y’all’: Protesters erupt after SCOTUS rules against affirmative action]
“Harvard engaged in unconstitutional racial balancing throughout its admissions process,” SLF explained in a Thursday press release. “It began by recruiting high school students of certain racial groups and inviting students with lower PSAT scores to apply to the school if they were of African-American or Hispanic-American descent. Once it received applications, the admissions office looked at applicants’ race before advancing or denying their applications.”
“The office even looked at how the demographics of the incoming class were shaping up and advanced or denied applications to balance the racial composition of the class,” SLF added.
