Pacific Legal Foundation joins software engineer’s challenge to University of Washington’s race-based admissions policy

Seattle, Washington; September 15, 2026: Pacific Legal Foundation is stepping in to represent Stanley Zhong in a lawsuit challenging the University of Washington’s race-conscious admissions policy. Stanley alleges that the policy violates the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI by judging students as members of racial groups, rather than as individuals.

“Pacific Legal Foundation has long fought government policies that sort students by race,” said Andrew Quinio, an attorney with Pacific Legal Foundation. “We’re proud to represent Stanley as he seeks equal treatment under the law and a fair chance for students to be evaluated as individuals.”

By the time Stanley graduated from Henry M. Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California, he had a 4.42 GPA, a 1590 SAT score, and his own software company. Google extended him an offer for an engineering role directly out of high school. Yet in 2023, the University of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering rejected his application after adopting equity-focused admissions priorities tied to demographic targets.

The lawsuit challenges UW admissions policies that impose a higher bar on Asian American applicants than applicants of other races. A victory would reaffirm that universities receiving federal funds must evaluate applicants as individuals, not racial avatars that count toward percentage goals.

Pacific Legal Foundation represents Stanley and Nan Zhong free of charge. The case is Stanley Zhong, et al. v. The Regents of the University of Washington, et al.