By The Republic Standard News Staff
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to admissions procedures at four academically rigorous magnet schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, putting a race-discrimination claim involving Asian-American applicants before the nation’s highest court.
The case was brought by parents who contend the county’s admissions policy disadvantages Asian-American students while benefiting Black and Latino students. The justices will decide whether the parents have presented enough evidence of intentional discrimination for the lawsuit to proceed.
Montgomery County adopted its selection process during the 2021-2022 school year. The system evaluates students for academic potential, then uses a lottery to place students in either magnet schools or local schools. The lawsuit alleges that the initial screening stage makes it more difficult for Asian-American students to reach the lottery pool.
Lower Courts Rejected Challenge
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis dismissed the case in 2022, finding no evidence that the lottery policy had been adopted with discriminatory intent. Xinis wrote that “The percentage of admitted Asian-American students exceeded the percentage of Asian Americans among all applicants to the magnet schools.”
Lower courts also dismissed the lawsuit because Asian-American students were not underrepresented when compared with the applicant pool.
Lawyers for the school system have maintained that “The Pandemic Plan is a colorblind lottery,” arguing that its admissions rules do not classify students by race.
Question Before the Court
The Supreme Court will examine whether challengers to a race-neutral admissions policy must demonstrate disproportionate harm in order to establish intentional discrimination. A ruling for the parent group, the Association for Education Fairness, could revive its case against Montgomery County’s school system.
The Court is scheduled to hear arguments in the coming months and is expected to issue its decision by June.
Category: Constitution
Tags: Supreme Court, Education Admissions, Association for Education Fairness, Montgomery County