NWLC Responds to Trump Administration Rescinding Diversity/Affirmative Action Guidance
The following is a statement from Emily Martin, General Counsel and Vice President for Education and Workplace Justice at the National Women’s Law Center:
“Affirmative action programs benefit everyone in this country—particularly women and girls. By increasing diversity on campus, these programs help dismantle decades of institutional racism and sexism. The Supreme Court repeatedly recognized this when it upheld the use of race-conscious admissions in Fisher v. University of Texas. The U.S. Department of Education also previously recognized these critical values through guidance documents that clarified how schools can increase diversity without running afoul of the Constitution. But today, the Trump Administration rescinded this guidance, on the heels of the Department of Education’s misguided decision to investigate gender equity programs and scholarships at Yale University. Rescinding this guidance does not change the law or established precedents. But it is yet another reminder that the Administration would rather return to a time when women, girls and other people of color had limited educational opportunities. We cannot allow ignorance of other cultures to perpetuate widespread civil and human rights atrocities in our nation. Now more than ever, we call on all schools to recommit to increasing diversity to promote equity for all students.”
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For immediate release: July 3, 2018
Contact: Maria Patrick ([email protected]) and Olympia Feil ([email protected])
