Supreme Court to Review Maryland Magnet School Admissions Case
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case concerning admissions to four selective middle school magnet programs in Montgomery County, Maryland. The question before the justices is whether parents alleging discrimination under a race-neutral policy must show disproportionate harm to the affected racial group before their lawsuit can proceed.
The Association for Education Fairness, a parents’ group, sued the school district in 2020. It argues that changes to the admissions process were designed to increase enrollment of Black and Latino students while disadvantaging Asian American applicants. The district maintains that its policy is race-neutral.
The dispute follows an admissions review that began about a decade ago. The district subsequently began considering poverty levels at applicants’ schools, and the share of Asian American students admitted to the programs fell. Later, the district eliminated an additional in-person exam. Under its current system, students qualify for an admissions lottery based on standardized test performance. Applicants from more affluent schools must earn higher scores to enter the lottery.
Lower courts dismissed the lawsuit. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that the parents had not shown harm to Asian American students, who continued to be admitted at rates above their share of the applicant pool. In reaching its decision, the court relied on a ruling in a separate Virginia magnet school admissions case.
The parents argue that comparisons with the applicant pool do not, by themselves, settle whether school officials intended to discriminate. They say courts should consider other evidence concerning the policy. The district counters that its lottery does not classify students by race and is constitutional.
The Supreme Court will decide whether the parents have presented enough evidence for the case to move forward, rather than whether the admissions policy is ultimately lawful. A ruling for the parents could revive their lawsuit. Arguments are expected in the coming months.