The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld today Harvard’s use of racial and ethnic preferences in its undergraduate admissions. That was predictable from the oral argument; the only rather surprising thing is how quickly the ruling came — less than two months after the appeal was argued, which is lightning speed in this context. In their 104-page opinion, the appellate judges largely deferred to the trial judge’s findings.
Well, the aim was always to get this issue back before the Supreme Court, and the sooner the better. It’s also good news that the appellate judges upheld the plaintiffs’ standing here.
So long as “diversity” is recognized as an interest so “compelling” that it justifies racial and ethnic discrimination, our politically correct universities will continue to use these preferences. Only the Supreme Court can reverse that recognition. So on to our (new, improved) Supreme Court.