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Guest Contributor Luke Carroll ’26 writes that in light of the Supreme Court potentially overturning affirmative action in higher education within the next few months, Princeton must seek declaratory relief for its admissions practices. Declaratory relief amounts to “asking the court to clarify the bounds of the ruling to prevent it from being stretched through lawsuits.” Carroll believes this will protect Princeton from bad-faith litigation calling for the university to reduce diversity in its student body.
Last October, the Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases in which Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) challenged Harvard and the University of North Carolina over unlawful “racial preference” in admissions. In the cases, SFFA accused Harvard of discriminating against Asian-Americans and claimed that UNC gave unfair priority to Black, Hispanic, and Native American applicants over White and Asian applicants. The Supreme Court has upheld affirmative action programs in the past, but the court's recent rightward tilt imperils over 40 years of precedent.
As of the 2022-23 academic year, 9 percent of Princeton’s undergraduates are Black and 11% are Hispanic. In comments made after the oral arguments last year, Udi Ofer, a visiting professor at the School of Public and International Affairs, told the ‘Prince,’ “I don’t think there’s a way to sugarcoat it. This will have a significant impact on what student bodies across the country will look like.” Faced with the very real possibility of less diversity on campuses, Carroll argues: “Princeton cannot allow conservative elements to rob us of members of our college community without the maximum resistance.”
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Analysis by Michelle Miao
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