Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action (2014) Plurality Opinion (Affirmative Action, Michigan Constitutional Amendment)

Audio of Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action (2014) Plurality Opinion (Affirmative Action, Michigan Constitutional Amendment)

In today's opinion of the Court, we go back to Michigan once again for another Affirmative Action case; but, in this 2006 case, Michigan voters passed a proposition to amend the state constitution to prohibit "all sex-and race-based preferences in public education, public employment, and public contracting." The very next day, a Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action formed to sue the governor and administrators from several state universities, arguing that the proposition and constitutional amendment violated the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part, holding that the proposition was unconstitutional.

The question before the Supreme Court in this case was whether an amendment to a state's constitution to prohibit both race-and sex-based discrimination and preferential treatment in public university admission decisions violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?

The Court said No.

 

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