The court held that a student admissions process that favors underrepresented minority groups does not violate the fourteenth amendments equal protection clause so long as it takes into account other factors. Bollinger shows there are common verbatim passages in the article with a xanga blog by jrgini37 apparently posted august 2005. In a 54 decision announced on june 23, 2003, the supreme court upheld the affirmative action policy. Bollinger, united states supreme court, 2003 case summary for gratz v. The supreme court ruled in favor of the university of michigan. Master report to intervene and file answer at 12, alaska v. Jennifer gratz was denied admission to the university of michigans undergraduate program in 1995, while in 1997 barbara grutter was denied admission to the universitys law school. The decision dissenting opinions chief justice reinquist believed that the law school was tailoring to a certain group of people and that they were practicing racial balancing, which shouldnt have been allowed. Bollinger and the public policies and procedures administered through geier v. Connor of whether the use of race as a factor in student admissions by the university of michigan law school. The university of michigan law school denied barbara grutters application to the school.
In 2003, the supreme court decided the landmark cases of gratz v. Bollinger 2003 barbara grutter, michigan resident and applicant to the law school at the university of michigan, filed an injunction against the university in 2007. Bollinger is a united states supreme court case regarding the university of michigan law schools affirmative action admissions policy. The two cases were filed in 1997 by white plaintiffs who alleged that the universitys use of race violated their constitutional right to equal protection of the laws. Grutters application the law school at the university of michigan. Bredesen at professional schools in the state of tennessee.
Petitioner barbara grutter is a white michigan resident who applied to the law school in. That is, cir represented the class of all applicants who had been refused admissions on the basis of michigans use of illegal racial preferences. Bollinger, though it ruled that race could not be the preeminent factor in such decisions as it struck down the universitys undergraduate admissions policy that awarded points to students on the basis of race gratz v. When barbara grutter plaintiff, a white michigan resident with a 3. Affirmative action programs that take race into account. A landmark case the grutter case affirmed and refined the supreme courts position on affirmative action a quarter century after its initial decision in regents of university of california v. Texas, which struck down the use of racial preferences in all states in the fifth circuit, the sixth circuit court of appeals upheld the use of the racial preferences program at the university of michigan. In 1997, barbara grutter, a white resident of michigan, applied for admission to the university of michigan law school. The university of michigan law school denied barbara grutter s application to the school. Supreme court case in which the court ruled that a law school could consider race when making admissions decisions. Bollinger, a case decided by the united states supreme court on june. University of michigan law school admissions program that gave special consideration for being a. Bollinger 2003 an introduction to constitutional law. Bollinger racism, at its modernday worst grutter v.
What were grutter s qualifications for admission to the universitys law school. Supreme courts admonition to seriously consider other options before using raceconscious admissions policies schmidt, 2008, p. Justice sandra day oconnor, ruled that the university of michigans affirmative action program was constitutional. Rights challenges the affirmative action program at the university of michigan law school. Bollinger decisions, pair of cases addressing the issue of affirmative action in which the u.
The court reaffirmed bakkes conclusion that educational diversity remains a compelling state. Supreme court ruled on june 23, 2003, that the undergraduate admissions policy of the university of michigan violated the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment to the u. The united states supreme court was announced the extremely tight decision of 54 on june 23, 2003. On this basis, the court upheld the affirmative action policy of the university of michigan law school in admitting a critical mass of minority students but added. Grutter claimed that the law schools use of affirmative action in its admissions policy violated her equal.
The case arose after a prospective student to the university of michigan law school. Grutter argued that on grounds of race discrimination in violation of epc of the 14th amd, and of title 7 of the civil rights act of 1964 dissents are on the right oconnor. University of michigan law school affirmative action case. Bollinger was a ruling that stated adding points due to race in the university admission point system was unconstitutional. Bollinger and that the admissions policy of the university of michigan. Several years after cirs historic victory in the fifth circuit, hopwood v. Strict scrutiny is approtpriate and the achievement of educational benefit of a diverse student body is compelling. Barbara grutter was a 43 yearold single white mother who wanted to attend the university of michigan law school. Bollinger presented the question, in the words of associate justice sandra day o. He also thought that their wish for diversity was just an excuse. Case summary the united state supreme court case of grutter v. Grutter, a white michigan resident, then sued the law school. The law school admits that it uses race as a factor in making admissions decisions because it serves.
Bollinger, challenged the affirmative action admissions practices of the university of michigans law school and undergraduate programs, respectively. In a 63 decision announced on june 23, 2003, chief justice rehnquist, writing for the court, ruled the universitys point systems predetermined point allocations that awarded 20 points towards admission to. Bollinger is president of the university of michigan, and previously served as dean of the university of michigan law school. John paul stevens, sandra day oconnor, david souter, ruth. Two caucasians challenged the university of michigans admissions policy after being denied entry into the undergraduate program, claiming the procedure violated the 14th amendments equal protection clause. Bollinger, challenged the affirmative action admissions practices of the university of michigans undergraduate and law school programs, respectively. The decision permitted the use of racial preference in student admissions to promote student diversity. Bollinger, concerned the admissions policy of the universitys literature, science and arts school lsa. The court held that a student admissions process that favors underrepresented minority groups does not violate the fourteenth amendments equal protection clause so long as it takes into account other factors evaluated on an individual basis for every applicant.
Bollinger neal devinst by approving raceconscious university admissions, the rehnquist court echoed the opinions of congress, the states, big business, academics, newspapers, and, to a lesser extent, the bush administration in short, rather than join forces with the politically isolated opponents. This issue of whether the material in wp was taken from the xanga piece was raised on the wp help desk. Grutter claimed that the law schools use of affirmative action in its admissions policy violated her equal protection rights under the fourteenth amendment. Plaintiff barbara grutter files a similar lawsuit challenging race based. This admissions program automatically awarded 20 points. Bollinger, a case decided by the united states supreme court on june 23, 2003, upheld the affirmative action admissions policy of the university of michigan law school. Bollinger does the university of michigan law schools use of racial preferences in student admissions infringe upon the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment or title vi of the civil rights act of 1964.
On writ of certiorari to the united states court of appeals for the sixth circuit june 23, 2003 justice thomas, with whom justice scalia joins as to parts ivii, concurring in part and dissenting in part. The grutter case arose when the law school rejected the application of barbara grutter. Grutter became the lead plaintiff after a few conservative state legislators who opposed affirmative action collected about 100 potential plaintiffs for a reverse discrimination challenge. These two cases further illustrate the complexity of the issue.
Who was barbara grutter and what did she attempt to do in 1996. Bollinger 2003, the court examined the universitys law school program, which sought to admit a critical mass of minority students. Constitution, and the federal civil rights statute, 42. The measure banned the use of affirmative action programs in education and. The ruling was against the university of michigans undergraduate admission. Plaintiff barbara grutter files a similar lawsuit challenging racebased admissions at the university of michigan law school. The court found that the law school had an interest in pursuing the educational benefits that come from having a racially diverse student body. Contributor names oconnor, sandra day judge supreme court of the united states author created published 2002 subject headings. Barbara grutter applied for admission to the university of michigan law school with a personal right guaranteed by the constitution that she would not have her. Grutter filed an injunction against the massive university in 2007. Bollinger, the plaintiffs, who are caucasians and were denied undergraduate admission to the university of michigan, filed a class action against the university, alleging that the university violated title vi of the civil rights act of 1964, the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment to the u. In 1997, barbara grutter, a white resident of michigan, applied for admission.
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