Vance urges colleges to respect affirmative action ruling and safeguard records.

Sen. J.D. Vance Calls on Universities to Preserve Communications After Supreme Court Ruling

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has taken action following the Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action ruling, calling on 10 universities to preserve their communications after they “expressed open hostility” towards the decision.

Supreme Court Bans Consideration of Race in College Admissions

The Supreme Court recently ruled to ban the consideration of race as part of admissions decisions at colleges, including prestigious institutions like Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. This ruling marks the end of the decades-long practice known as affirmative action.

Schools are still allowed to consider race as a factor if the applicant has discussed how their race has affected their life. The majority opinion stated that universities can consider an applicant’s discussion of how race has influenced their experiences, whether through discrimination, inspiration, or other means. However, the Court made it clear that universities cannot establish a discriminatory regime through application essays or other methods.

Universities’ Response and Vance’s Warning

In response to the ruling, several university presidents emphasized their commitment to promoting diversity on their campuses. This prompted Sen. Vance to send letters to these universities, cautioning them against what he perceived as an attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s decision.

“I write to express concern about your institutions’ openly defiant and potentially unlawful reaction to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision,” Vance wrote in his letters. He reminded the universities that they must honor the spirit, not just the letter, of the ruling.

Vance included statements from each of the 10 university presidents in his letter, highlighting their responses to the high court’s decision to strike down race-based affirmative action.

Preserving Records and Upholding the Ruling

In his letters, Vance posed several questions to the university presidents. He asked about the procedures the schools will implement to preserve their records and ensure that their new admissions practices align with the recent ruling.

Vance also made it clear that the Senate would use its full investigative powers to uncover any attempts to circumvent the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action. He advised the universities to retain admission documents, including digital communications between admissions officers, demographic data, and other relevant materials, in anticipation of future congressional investigations.

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