Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to High School's Admissions Policy

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to take up a case challenging the admissions policy of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia. The policy, which was revised in 2020 to promote greater diversity, has been met with accusations of racial discrimination against Asian-American applicants. A group of parents and students alleged that the new policy violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals had previously upheld the school's policy, leading to the Supreme Court's decision not to review the case, effectively leaving the lower court's ruling in place. The school, known for its academic rigor, altered its admissions criteria to include a more holistic evaluation of applicants, moving away from a standardized test-based admission system. This shift was intended to address the lack of socioeconomic, geographic, and racial diversity within the student body.

Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the Supreme Court's decision not to hear the case, with Alito criticizing the Fourth Circuit's ruling as "patently incorrect." They expressed concerns that the policy constituted unconstitutional discrimination. Despite the controversy, the new admissions policy will remain in effect, diversifying the demographic makeup of the incoming classes by admitting more White, Hispanic, and Black students while reducing the number of Asian American students.