Ohio State officials available to discuss affirmative action cases

In its decision on a pair of affirmative action cases against the University of Michigan, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today (6/23) that race may be used as a factor in law school admissions, but that a point system used for undergraduate admissions is unconstitutional.

President Karen A. Holbrook and Vice Provost for Minority Affairs Mac Stewart will be available at 1:30 p.m. today (6/23) in room 200 Bricker Hall, 190 N. Oval Mall, to discuss the university’s continued support for diversity.

In the lawsuit against the University of Michigan’s law school, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that race may be used as a factor in admissions. In a separate lawsuit against the University of Michigan’s undergraduate admissions program, the court ruled 5-4 that a complicated point system which awards points to applicants based on factors, including race, is unconstitutional and violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Ohio State Legal Expertise
Two Ohio State law professors can discuss the legal issues involved with the ruling.

Edward B. (Ned) Foley
Professor of Law
Specialty: Constitutional law, education law
(614) 292-4288

john a. powell
Executive director of The Kirwan Institute for Race and Ethnicity in the Americas
Gregory H. Williams Chair in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the College of Law
Specialty: Civil rights, civil liberties and issues relating to race, poverty and the law
Please contact Liz Cook at (614) 292-7276 to set up an interview with powell.