3 Supreme Court Justices Disagree in Key Affirmative Action Decision

The U.S. Supreme Court Makes Landmark Ruling on College Admissions

The U.S. Supreme Court made a groundbreaking ruling on Thursday, declaring that colleges and universities cannot consider race when granting admission. This decision overturns decades of precedent and has sparked widespread debate.

The case centered around the admissions policies of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard University. The court voted 6-3, with justices from both political parties on each side of the ruling.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, along with Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, wrote a strong dissent, arguing that the ruling perpetuates racial inequality in education. Sotomayor expressed her concern that the decision undermines progress and fails to address the ongoing racial disparities in society.

Sotomayor emphasized that racial inequality remains a reality today and cannot be ignored. She stated, “Ignoring race will not equalize a society that is racially unequal. What was true in the past is still true today: Equality requires acknowledgment of inequality.”

The ruling was the result of two separate cases brought by Students for Fair Admissions against Harvard University and UNC. The group alleged that these institutions discriminated against white and Asian students.

Students for Fair Admissions argued that UNC’s non-neutral admissions policy violated the equal protection guarantee of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment. They also claimed that Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race-based discrimination in programs receiving federal financial assistance.

Justice Sotomayor and Justice Jackson criticized the majority for making an exception for military academies, deeming it arbitrary. Jackson also expressed her disappointment that the ruling seemed to prioritize diversity for success in military settings rather than in corporate boardrooms.

Majority Opinion

In the majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, “The student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual—not on the basis of race.”

Roberts criticized universities that have prioritized race over individual achievements, arguing that true identity should be determined by personal challenges overcome, skills developed, and lessons learned, rather than the color of one’s skin.