Severe discrimination at the University of Wisconsin

September 13, 2011 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

Author: Joshua Thompson

Our friends at the Center for Equal Opportunity released a study today that shows my alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is engaging in pervasive discrimination in both undergraduate and law school admissions.  "The odds ratio favoring African Americans and Hispanics over whites was 576-to-1 and 504-to-1, respectively, using the SAT and class rank while controlling for other factors. Thus, the median composite SAT score for black admittees was 150 points lower than for whites and Asians, and the Latino median SAT score was 100 points lower. Using the ACT, the odds ratios climbed to 1330-to-1 and 1494-to-1, respectively, for African Americans and Hispanics over whites."  CEO President Linda Chavez notes that, "This is the most severe undergraduate admissions discrimination that CEO has ever found in the dozens of studies it has published over the last 15 years."

It is a sad day that political pressures force schools to discriminate against students on the basis of their skin color.  This is especially true given that the diversity rationale is so not compelling, and that racial preferences may actually hurt those they are designed to help.  This troubling news out of the Badger State makes clear that guidance from Supreme Court is sorely needed on the issue of racial preferences. Fortunately, PLF expects that the Fisher certiorari petition will be filed soon. 

PLF will continue to monitor the situation in Wisconsin, while we work to get the Fisher case heard.