J.D. Vance slams elite colleges' 'intention to circumvent' SCOTUS on affirmative action
“The Court has instructed you to honor the spirit, and not just the letter, of the ruling,” Vance informed the colleges in his letter.
Ohio Senator J.D. Vance told accused elite universities of being ‘openly defiant' and ‘hostile’ to the recent overturning of affirmative action by the Supreme Court.
Ohio Senator J.D. Vance issued a letter to ten university presidents, urging them to ‘retain admissions documents’ after they responded in an ‘openly defiant’ and ‘hostile’ matter to the recent ruling against of affirmative action in college admissions by the United States Supreme Court.
After the ruling, numerous university presidents, including those from prestigious institutions like Harvard and Princeton, emphasized their dedication to advancing “diversity” in their respective campuses.
In a July 6 letter to Ivy League universities and Ohio elite colleges, Vance accused a number of higher education institutions of a “potentially unlawful reaction” to the ban on race-based admissions as the statements by the schools “seemed to announce an intention to circumvent it.”
“The Court has instructed you to honor the spirit, and not just the letter, of the ruling,” Vance informed the colleges in his letter. He warned that the United States Senate stands ready to use its investigative authority to expose any attempts the schools may have to evade regulations imposed by the Supreme Court.
“My concern [is] that colleges and universities, and particularly the elite institutions to whom this letter is addressed, do not respect the Court’s judgment and will covertly defy a landmark civil rights decision with which they disagree,” he continued.
In his letter, Vance cited a collection of quotations taken from the press releases of each college president. “Elite universities have told us they plan to violate the law and discriminate based on skin color,” he claimed in a tweet accompanying the letter.
Elite universities have told us they plan to violate the law and discriminate based on skin color. Today I advised these colleges that there will be consequences for doing so. https://t.co/nsu8EOyMYg
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) July 6, 2023
One of the “alarming statements” made by the universities came from Dartmouth College’s president, Sian Leah Beilock, who wrote, “I want to be absolutely clear: This decision in no way changes Dartmouth’s fundamental commitment to building a diverse and welcoming community of faculty, students and staff...”
Peter Salovey, president of Yale University, wrote that he felt “deeply troubled” by the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action, and reiterated that “Yale’s core values will not change.”
Vance advised the institutions to “retain admissions documents in anticipation of future congressional investigations, including digital communications between admissions officers, any demographic or other data compiled during future admissions cycles, and other relevant materials”.
Vance concluded his letter with a request that the universities provide a detailed account of how they plan to align their admissions procedures in compliance with the ruling.
Campus Reform has contacted all relevant parties for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
