Justice Antonin Scalia lit up the Internet on Wednesday after oral arguments in the Supreme Court’s reconsideration of a closely watched affirmative-action case, by raising the idea that African-American students might fare better at a "slower-track school."
Here’s what Justice Scalia had to say in the arguments over the case, Abigail Noel Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin:
Justice Scalia: There are — there are those who contend that it does not benefit African-Americans to — to get them into the University of Texas where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less-advanced school, a less — a slower-track school where they do well. One of — one of the briefs pointed out that — that most of the — most of the black scientists in this country don’t come from schools like the University of Texas.
Mr. Garre: So this court —
Justice Scalia: They come from lesser schools where they do not feel that they’re — that they’re being pushed ahead in — in classes that are too — too fast for them.
Reaction online was swift and fierce.
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/article/A-Closer-Look-at-a-Comment/234551