Fisher V. University of Texas

 

Conflict summary: Fisher V. University of Texas

Abigail Fisher applied to the University of Texas in 2008 and was denied admission. She claimed it was because of her skin color, so she filed a law suit “alleging that the university had discriminated against her because of her race”.  Fisher disagreed with the university of Texas new policy. The policy stated once the university has admitted all students in the top 10 percent of their graduating class “for the remainder of the in-state freshman class the university would consider race as a factor in admission” stated by The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Fisher claimed that the use of race as consideration in admission decisions violated the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment and a violation of 42 U.S.C sections 1983. The university then argued that the use of race in their admission decisions was created to promote a greater diversity in their school system. In a 7-1 decision the court held that using race as an admission factor was made in good faith, so they vacated and remanded the fifth circuit ruling.

 

Fisher v. university of Texas. (n.d.). retrieved from http://www.oyez.org

Richey, Warren (February 21, 2012). “Affirmative action in college admissions goes back before Supreme Court”. The Christian Science Monitor.