RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Supreme Court upended decades of affirmative action programs in college admissions with two separate rulings on Thursday morning.
Six conservative justices ruled against the admission practices of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), claiming they did not comply with the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection.
Elected officials all across the country released statements in the wake of the court’s decision. The Commonwealth of Virginia was no exception.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) supported the court’s decision and made the following statement in writing:
Today, after the Supreme Court’s ruling, we are closer than ever before to ensuring that an individual’s future opportunities are unlocked based on the trajectory of their potential, their aspirations, and the quality of their capabilities as opposed to simply on their race.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine
Sen. Tim Kaine (D) spoke out against the Supreme Court’s decision, claiming they further restrict colleges and universities from considering race in admissions decisions.
Today’s sad ruling means we have even more work to do to address our nation’s ugly history of racism and root out the systemic inequities that unfairly burden diverse communities, like Black and Latino Americans. Not only are those systemic inequities plain wrong; they hurt all of us and hold our economy back. In the competitive global economy, we need a long-term plan that produces the best workforce in the world. We can’t do that without improving educational attainment for all. The strength of Virginia’s—and America’s—higher education system lies in its diversity, and I’m going to do all that I can to double down on my efforts to improve access to education and good jobs.
Sen. Tim Kaine
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears (R) sided with the Supreme Court, calling the ruling a “tremendous victory.”
I applaud the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling today that will ensure college admissions are based on a student’s merits, not the color of their skin. Students across America, regardless of their background, will now have access to the best educational opportunities available and be judged on their academic achievements and the content of their character — as they should be. Today’s decision is a tremendous victory for our country and gives our children a hope and a future. America continues to work toward her declared ideal that all men are created equal.
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears
Congressman Bobby Scott
Rep. Bobby Scott (D) responded to the Supreme Court’s decision with a Twitter thread denouncing the ruling.
The Supreme Court has long held that our nation has a compelling interest in fostering racially diverse campuses. Holistic college admissions practices that narrowly tailor the use of race as one of many factors in evaluating prospective students are a key to fostering such diversity in higher education. Such admissions policies not only support historically underserved students—research confirms that diverse campuses also provide all students with a quality, well-rounded education. Today the Supreme Court decided, with little regard for the repercussions, that institutions of higher education cannot pursue these compelling interests.
Regrettably, the Supreme Court’s decision to end the consideration of race as a factor in college admissions is a significant setback in our effort to eliminate disparities in access to higher education and ensure diverse learning environments for all students. It is now imperative that we review other facets in college admissions that research shows are racially discriminatory and have a disparate impact and determine if they too need to be eliminated, given today’s ruling.
Race-conscious admissions policies provided a counterbalance to these discriminatory factors—such as inequitable K-12 schools, racially biased admissions tests, and developmental and legacy admissions—that all marginalize students of color. Now that the Court has invalidated that balance, I call on the Attorney General to start filing cases now against any current school practices that violate the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act because they have discriminatory impact.
Rep. Bobby Scott
This is a developing story. Check back with 8News for updates.
