BAKKE V. CALIFORNIA BOARD OF REGENTS
Year: 1978
Result: 5:4, favor Bakke
Related Constitutional issue/amendment: 14th amendment (equal protection clause); Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights or Civil Liberties: Rights
Significance/Precedent: Though the justices did not fully agree with each other, they did agree that Affirmative Action programs that exclude people because of their race was unconstitutional. Admission programs were able to consider race in the acception of applicants, but that could not be the only factor they reviewed.
Quote from majority opinion: "While the goal of achieving a diverse student body is sufficiently compelling to justify consideration of race in admissions decisions under some circumstances, petitioner's special admissions program, which forecloses consideration to persons like respondent, is unnecessary to the achievement of this compelling goal, and therefore invalid under the Equal Protection Clause."
6-word summary: affirmative action cannot exclude for race
Result: 5:4, favor Bakke
Related Constitutional issue/amendment: 14th amendment (equal protection clause); Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights or Civil Liberties: Rights
Significance/Precedent: Though the justices did not fully agree with each other, they did agree that Affirmative Action programs that exclude people because of their race was unconstitutional. Admission programs were able to consider race in the acception of applicants, but that could not be the only factor they reviewed.
Quote from majority opinion: "While the goal of achieving a diverse student body is sufficiently compelling to justify consideration of race in admissions decisions under some circumstances, petitioner's special admissions program, which forecloses consideration to persons like respondent, is unnecessary to the achievement of this compelling goal, and therefore invalid under the Equal Protection Clause."
6-word summary: affirmative action cannot exclude for race