Group Decries Ruling Upholding High School's Race-Based Admissions
by Jim Brown
November 4, 2005
(AgapePress) - - A conservative think tank is expressing disappointment over a federal appeals court ruling that upholds the Seattle (Washington) School District's use of race as a factor in high school admissions. The controversial Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals recently ruled that the district "has a compelling interest in securing the educational and social benefits of racial and ethnic diversity." Roger Clegg is vice president and general counsel of the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO), a think tank devoted to promoting colorblind equal opportunity and racial harmony. He is denouncing the federal appeals court ruling on the basis of his belief that it is neither constitutional nor morally right for a school to admit students based on their skin color.
"The Supreme Court has never ruled that it is okay for primary and secondary schools to engage in that kind of racial discrimination," Clegg asserts, "and we hope that the court will rule in the near future that this kind of discrimination at the K-12 level is not legal." He says race-based admissions are more common on college campuses than at high schools because school boards tend to be more responsive to public opinion than colleges are.
The CEO vice president says his group disagrees with the appellate court's approval of what many people feel is an unconstitutional practice. "Putting aside the legal question, we think that it's divisive and unfair to be treating students differently for no other reason than their skin color," he says.
The Center for Equal Opportunity supports "colorblind" public policies and works to block the expansion of racial preferences and prevent their use in education, employment, and elections. The think tank is watching another public school affirmative action case with interest, this one involving the Lynn (Massachusetts) School District and its use of racial quotas in admissions. That case is pending before the Supreme Court.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
