STATEMENT FROM LAURIE CUMBO 35TH DISTRICT CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE Highlights Pitfalls Of U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action

STATEMENT FROM LAURIE CUMBO 35TH DISTRICT CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE

Highlights Pitfalls Of U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action

“While I appreciate the justices’ nine months of due diligence on a complicated issue with national implications, I am disappointed by the lack of clarity afforded by the Supreme Court’s decision regarding affirmative action,” Laurie Cumbo, candidate for the 35th District City Council said. “The Court’s attempt to tighten restrictions on the use of affirmative action in the college application process is clumsy and vague. I believe that most Americans understand the educational benefits of creating a vibrant, diverse student body that represents people from various backgrounds and walks of life. Until every child in America has the same upbringing, same opportunities, and faces the same obstacles in their educational trajectory, admissions departments must consider various aspects when making these decisions. Race should be just one of an array of factors including talent levels, extracurricular activities, socio-economic backgrounds, and regional considerations. By placing unclear restrictions on affirmative action and punting the difficult decisions down to a lower court, the Supreme Court has left the current generation of college applicants in limbo and guaranteed a future rife with contentious lengthy litigation.”

In Fisher v. The University of Texas at Austin the Supreme Court decided 7-1 that a university’s use of race must meet a test known as “strict scrutiny” under which affirmative action will only be constitutional if it is “narrowly tailored” and demonstrated to be “necessary” to have a diverse student body. Universities must demonstrate that there is no other realistic alternative that does not use race to create a diverse student body. The Court’s decision will send this particular case to a lower court for further review as it applies affirmative action decisions on a case-by-case basis in the lower federal Courts.