Supreme Court To Decide High-Profile Affirmative Action Case

Discriminatory treatment may be slapped down

Abigail Fisher was one of the more than 17,000 high-school seniors from around the country who were rejected when they applied to the University of Texas in 2008. In an argument to be heard next week by the U.S. Supreme Court, Fisher argues the university turned her down because she is white.

If the Supreme Court agrees with Fisher, it could spell the end to affirmative action programs across the country that provide some advantage to applicants from underrepresented minorities. At issue is whether Fisher's "equal protection" under the 14th amendment was violated by the university's consideration of the race of some of its applicants. Courts so far have found that it wasn't, as both the 5th Circuit district and appeals courts ruled in favor of the University of Texas.