Twitter was anxiously awaiting SCOTUS decisions Monday morning.
Anticipation?…#SCOTUS sketch of this morning's line pic.twitter.com/nalujvIYZH
— Arthur Lien (@Courtartist) June 24, 2013
The justices delivered a ruling on a key case.
People outside #scotus watching @PeteWilliamsNBC explain court ruling on affirmative action pic.twitter.com/eOq1N0VD0y
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) June 24, 2013
Affirmative action is only major #SCOTUS ruling today. Voting rights, gay marriage and DOMA will be on next decision day, announced soon.
— Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) June 24, 2013
#scotus remains at least willing to assume that diversity is a compelling governmental interest.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 24, 2013
#scotus does not revisit its prior holding that racial diversity in higher education is a compelling interest.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 24, 2013
The full text of the decision on Fisher vs. University of Texas can be found here [pdf]:
JUST PUBLISHED: Text of #SCOTUS Ruling on Fisher v. UTex – Affirmative Action Case Sent Back Down for Review http://t.co/TyUrzmcMv9
— Kevin Allen (@kevinjallen) June 24, 2013
What exactly happened and what does the ruling mean? Twitter users break it down:
Clear 7-1 defeat for proponents of university racial preferences in Fisher, but Court doesn't tackle broader issue.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 24, 2013
If Fisher's reading of Grutter is the rule, Court is allowing racial preferences but inviting endless litigation over them.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 24, 2013
Justice Kennedy's opinion in Fisher leaves more power in hands of federal judges. Not unusual for a Kennedy opinion.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 24, 2013
Fisher key: "a careful judicial inquiry into whether a university could achieve sufficient diversity without using racial classifications."
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 24, 2013
Justice Thomas dissented:
Takeaway from Thomas opinion in Fisher: he REALLY does not like discrimination on basis of race.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 24, 2013
Thomas: "It is irrelevant under the Fourteenth Amendment whether segregated or mixed schools produce better leaders."
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 24, 2013
Thomas: "no court today would accept..segregation..b/c historically black colleges produced Booker T. Washington, Thurgood Marshall, [MLK]"
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 24, 2013
Thomas: "I think the lesson of history is clear enough: Racial discrimination is never benign."
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 24, 2013
It seems to be a partial and limited victory for racial preferences opponents with a good bit of “kicking the can down the road” tossed in.
The #scotus decision on affirmative action is a limited victory for opponents of racial preferences.
— Greg Stohr (@GregStohr) June 24, 2013
SCOTUS kicks the ball way down the field on affirmative action. Again.
— Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) June 24, 2013
Hard to conclude anything from #SCOTUS on affirmative action. It gave the Fifth Circuit an incomplete. #professoranalysis
— Micheline Maynard (@MickiMaynard) June 24, 2013
And perhaps even more waiting regardless?
Whatever happens in Fisher may not matter–SCOTUS will hear a case next term involving U-Mich's affirmative action policy.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 24, 2013
Hardest hit?
Fisher disappoints foes of preferences, but real loser is academics who wanted broad court deference to their judgments.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 24, 2013
So, there’s that!
Twitchy will continue to monitor this news and update with any developments.
Editor’s note: The post has been corrected to indicate Justice Thomas concurred. We apologize for the error.
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