Op-Ed: The Supreme Court will end affirmative action. What happens next?
I thought the decision on affirmative action would be a close one. I thought the high court’s decision on gay marriage was something closer. I thought it was even close on affirmative action.
But then I heard about this case and all my hopes for a close decision on the issue of affirmative action were shattered.
In our world, the Constitution is the law of the land, and judges are supposed to interpret it in a manner most consistent with the letter and spirit of the Constitution, even if that interpretation hurts minorities. If the ruling is wrong, the courts were supposed to correct it, not kill it.
The Supreme Court’s decision will end affirmative action at the university level. What happens next?
It appears the court will reverse the decision on affirmative action that found the University of Texas’ denial of admission to a historically black student to violate Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
But that’s only a small step.
The court has now rendered a sweeping decision that will end all racial preferences in higher education including graduate school, college, and even law school.
What will the Supreme Court do next?
The ruling would affect state universities as well as private institutions with their own admissions policies. The court will also strike down all race-conscious admissions in private school admissions, such as those of private Catholic schools.
What are the implications?
For a start, affirmative action will be illegal at all levels, including federal and private. The Supreme Court will set a new, uniform standard for admissions and the number of minority to be admitted. Students will no longer be able to take any race or religion as a major or a basis for deciding who gets into their school.
Furthermore, the court will set admissions policies based upon the academic qualifications of the individual applicant, making it mandatory for schools to accept certain minority students. That will eliminate the use of race or religion as an admissions
