Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that was decided in 2003. In this case, the Court was asked to decide whether a university admissions policy that took race into consideration could pass constitutional muster under the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court held that the policy was valid because it was narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest.
The Court emphasized the importance of diversity in higher education and found that the university’s policy was justified in furthering this goal. The case clarified that universities could continue to consider race as long as they do it in a way that does not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Grutter v. Bollinger in the Modern Context
Grutter v. Bollinger is still an important case today and has been used to inform decisions by courts around the country on the proper use of race as a factor in college admissions. In recent years, the courts have been increasingly asked to decide whether taking race into account is necessary to further a legitimate educational interest or if it is an unconstitutional racial preference.
For example, in Fisher v University of Texas at Austin (2020), the Supreme Court decided narrowly in favor of the University of Texas and found that while race could still be taken into account, it had to be done in a way that was necessary to further the university’s interest in diversity. This decision upheld the standard set by Grutter v Bollinger for who and how higher educational institutions can consider race in admissions decisions.
Conclusion
Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) is still an important case in the modern context when it comes to how universities and other educational institutions can use race as a factor in admissions decisions. The Court made it clear that race can be taken into account if necessary to further a compelling interest, but that the regulations and policies in place have to be narrowly tailored to ensure that they do not amount to unconstitutional racial preferences.