Supreme Court decision on affirmative action may have little effect on Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the use of affirmative action in higher education.

That means universities can no longer use race as a factor in college admissions to achieve diversity on their campuses.

President Joe Biden said he strongly disagrees with the court’s 6-3 decision to undo more than 40 years of legal precedent.

“Discrimination still exists in America,” he said. “We cannot let this decision be the last word.”

Justice Clarence Thomas, who was in favor of the decision, has expressed his skepticism of affirmative action.

“I’ve heard the word diversity quite a few times, and I don’t have a clue what it means,” he said. “It seems to mean everything for everyone.”

Nebraska law already prohibits preferential treatment based on race and gender in admissions decisions, after a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2008.

In a statement, the University of Nebraska said it will be reviewing the ruling.

“The University of Nebraska will continue to work to recruit and enroll a strong and vibrant student body, consistent with Board of Regents policy and state and federal law,” the statement said.

Jane Seu with the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska said the decision will mostly affect more elite schools with stricter admissions policies.

“It’s really in the most highly selective universities, right? Where admissions is already very competitive,” she said. “And now, taking this out of the equation, there’s a good chance we’re gonna see even higher inequality in those universities.”

Seu said affirmative action is meant to take into account systemic inequalities to make admissions fairer.

“As one of the justices put in their dissent, erasing race in the law does not make it go away in real life,” she said.

Seu said it could be some time before we see the effects of the decision in schools.