In a decision upending more than four decades of precedent, the Supreme Court on Thursday struck down race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, sparking concerns about far-reaching consequences for institutions of higher education across the nation.
The vote was 6-3 in the UNC case and 6-2 in the Harvard case, because of the recusal of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. The decision concludes a nine-year effort by Harvard to defend policies that include race as one factor among many in admissions decisions. The lawsuit was brought by the anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions, which was created by the conservative activist Edward Blum. Harvard had prevailed in prior decisions by two federal courts that applied existing precedent.
Read more at the Harvard Gazette.