The US Supreme Court has curbed universities’ ability to consider race in admissions, a ruling that could have far-reaching consequences for diversity policies at employers across the country.
The decision by the Supreme Court in two of the most high-profile cases heard this term marks a blow for affirmative action in the US. The cases against the University of North Carolina, a public university, and Harvard University, the private Ivy League institution, were brought by Students for Fair Admissions, a non-profit seeking to abolish racial considerations in admissions.
Students for Fair Admissions had argued the practice benefited black and Hispanic students to the detriment of Asian Americans and others. It asked the court to over-rule Grutter vs Bollinger, a 2003 Supreme Court decision that allowed universities to consider race in admissions by reaffirming that diversity is in the US government’s interest.