On Thursday, the Supreme Court delivered a significant blow to the longstanding affirmative action admission policies of Harvard and the University of North Carolina, ruling them as unconstitutional.

This decision deals a severe setback to decades-long initiatives aimed at increasing minority enrollment in American universities by considering applicants’ race as a factor, CNBC reported.

Chief Justice John Roberts, in the majority opinion, emphasized the importance of eliminating racial discrimination entirely. All five of his conservative colleagues joined him in this ruling.

Roberts stated that both Harvard’s and UNC’s affirmative action programs inherently employ race in a detrimental manner, perpetuate racial stereotypes, and lack clear endpoints.

“We have never allowed admissions programs to function in this manner in the past, and we will not allow it today,” Roberts wrote.

He concluded that these policies violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which prohibits states from denying individuals equal protection under the law.

Written by staff