Lawsuit Opposes Race Rules in Magnet School Admissions

A court hearing is scheduled Tuesday on whether Los Angeles Unified can continue considering racial backgrounds when deciding which students are admitted to magnet schools.

A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in October 2005 by the American Civil Rights Foundation alleges the district policy is unconstitutional and in violation of Proposition 209, which forbids the use of racial preferences in state government.

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In his court papers, Paul J. Beard II of the Pacific Legal Foundation, which represents the American Civil Rights Foundation, states. . .{snip}. . .the state constitution does not require voluntary integration as a goal or race-balancing policies as a way to achieve that end.

“Quite the opposite, the California constitution prohibits race—balancing policies for integrating schools,” according to Beard.

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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in late June that the use of racial guidelines to integrate public schools in Louisville, Ky., and Seattle is unconstitutional.

Kevin Reed, general counsel for the Los Angeles Unified School District, recently told KFWB that he does not expect the Supreme Court decision to have any impact on the district.

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