Supreme Court to Review Maryland Magnet School Lottery Over Alleged Race Preference
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case challenging Montgomery County, Maryland's magnet school lottery, which plaintiffs say favors Black and Latino students.
On Monday the Supreme Court granted review of a lawsuit targeting the admissions process for four STEM magnet schools in Montgomery County, Maryland. The Association for Education Fairness seeks to revive a case against the Montgomery County Board of Education, arguing that both one outlet lottery system and an earlier outreach program were designed to increase enrollment of Black and Latino students, thereby breaching the 14th Amendment.
The challenge follows the Court’s 2023 decision prohibiting the use of race in college admissions, but this case narrows the issue to the type of evidence required to sustain a constitutional claim. Both the federal district court and the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had previously upheld the district’s policies. The case underscores ongoing debates over how public schools can pursue diversity without explicit racial criteria.
Why it matters
The ruling will shape how schools nationwide can use race-neutral methods to achieve diversity.
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