Business Leaders Urge Supreme Court to Side with University of Texas

By Peter Malof, Public News Service

AUSTIN, Texas – The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments today in a Texas case that could affect how colleges and universities across the nation are allowed to assess student applicants.

When Abigail Fisher was deniedadmission to the University of Texas in 2008, she sued, claiming she was a victim of racial discrimination. Fisher, who is white, said less-qualified applicants got in because of their race.

San Antonio attorney David Hinojosa disagrees, claiming the university has no quota or point system. Rather, he says, the admissions process is simply “race conscious” and takes into account many other factors.

“Socioeconomic status, single-parent families, the socioeconomic status of the school, school averages on SAT scores – how can you look at all of these different experiences and not consider race?”

Hinojosa is Southwest regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), which filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of other civil rights groups. They’re asking the Supreme Court to uphold lower court rulings that favored the university.

It isn’t only minority groups supporting the school’s admissions practices. Representatives of 57 major companies – including Dell, Halliburton and Wal-Mart – are telling the court their success depends on the ability “to hire highly trained employees of all races, religions, cultures and economic backgrounds.”

Critics say race-conscious admissions can place minority students in situations where they’re doomed to fail. Hinojosa says there’s more evidence showing the benefits of classroom diversity – benefits he thinks extend well beyond the individuals who are admitted.

“In our growing economy and our global marketplace, we need a diversified pool of people entering into the workforce, and also becoming leaders – people who understand how diverse communities interact.”

Twenty-nine retired military leaders also are asking the high court to support the university, saying there is a “mission-critical national security interest” in developing a racially diverse officer corps.

The Supreme Court is expected to announce its ruling next spring.

Links to all amicus briefs are online at scotusblog.com.

This article was first published in Public News Service.

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