WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it will dive back into the fight over the use of race in admissions at the University of Texas, a decision that presages tighter limits on affirmative action in higher education.
The justices said they will hear for a second time the case of a white woman who was denied admission to the university’s flagship Austin campus.
The conservative-leaning federal appeals court in New Orleans has twice upheld the university’s admissions process, including in a ruling last year that followed a Supreme Court order to reconsider the woman’s case.
The case began in 2008 when Abigail Fisher, who is white, was denied admission to the University of Texas’s flagship Austin campus because she did not graduate in the top 10 percent of her high school class — the criterion for 75 percent of the school’s admissions. The university also passed her over for a position among the remaining 25 percent, which is reserved for special scholarships and people who meet a formula for personal achievement that includes race as a factor.
The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2013. But rather than issue a landmark decision on affirmative action, it voted 7-1 to tell a lower appeals court to take another look at Fisher’s lawsuit. That meant the university’s admissions policies remained unchanged.
Last year, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals again upheld the university’s admissions policy. Fisher is a graduate of Louisiana State University.
Justice Elena Kagan is not taking part in the case. She sat out the first round as well, presumably because of her work on the case when she served in the Justice Department before joining the court.
The case, Fisher v. University of Texas, 14-981, will be argued in the fall.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Abigail Fisher is a dullard. She didn’t graduate in the top 10% of her high school class and she had no distinguishing criteria to allow for special admission. Thus, like THOUSANDS of her fellows of all races and creeds, she did not get to go to go to UT Austin. Instead of accepting her fate and moving on with her life, like THOUSANDS of her fellows of all races and creeds did, she contacted a conservative legal foundation that was more than willing to exploit her perceptions of white entitlement and hurt feelings. Stupidity knows no bounds.
¨The case began in 2008 when Abigail Fisher, who is white, was denied admission to the University of Texas’s flagship Austin campus because she did not graduate in the top 10 percent of her high school class … Fisher is a graduate of Louisiana State University.¨
And college men from LSU
Went in dumb - come out dumb too
Hustlin’ ‘round Atlanta in their alligator shoes
Gettin’ drunk every weekend at the barbecues
And they’re keepin’ the niggers down
We’re rednecks, rednecks
And we don’t know our ass from a hole in the ground
We’re rednecks, we’re rednecks
And we’re keeping the niggers down.
-Randy Newman, Rednecks
Ha, so it’s black people’s fault she didn’t get in. Funny how she doesn’t seem to be suing over the fact that legacy students get in based on who their parents are and how much money they donate.
So, she didn’t get in because she wasn’t smart enough and now she is suing? That’s rich.
Ah crap. Here comes another “there’s no more racism” ruling… This one’s going to wind up 5-3.