« And the Hits keep comin' | Main | UPDATE: Diversity cases decision »
June 28, 2007
They turned back timeThis morning, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in the diversity cases, striking down voluntary integration plans in the public schools of Seattle and Louisville. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., wrote the majority opinion in the combined cases. The two school districts, Roberts wrote, have "failed to provide the necessary support for the proposition that there is no other way than individual racial classifications to avoid racial isolation in their school districts."
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy did not join all of the majority opinion, but joined in the result.
Contrary to popular belief, the cases do not involve affirmative action or "forced busing" programs. In a briefing paper on the cases, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund noted that, "In the vast majority of K-12 public schools, there is no competitive admissions process or attempt to evaluate students' 'merit' in determining student assignment. Every student will be assigned to a public school within the district; the only question is which children will be educated together. Or, put another way, the choice is whether to pursue integration in student assignment through voluntary transfers and other mechanisms, or whether to leave schools racially isolated."
BoardBuzz will have updates on this story later today. Click here to get more information and resources on these cases.
Posted June 28, 2007 11:28 AM | School Law
Trackback Pings
BoardBuzz Feed
