AUSTIN - The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, along with pro bono counsel Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP and Bernabei & Kabat PLLC, have received an order from a federal district court, to intervene in SFFA v. University of Texas at Austin on behalf of three organizations and a diverse group of eight students.
According to a press release, this means they will be able to fully participate in the case, including discovery and testifying during trial to defend the limited, but meaningful inclusion of race in the University of Texas at Austin’s (UT) admissions process.
In his ruling, Judge Robert Pitman stated that the students are best positioned to offer evidence about UT’s campus climate, feelings of tokenization, and how alternative admissions policies could impact applicant behavior, and it is therefore critical to hear their testimony. In addition, Judge Pitman noted that the student-intervenors will bring different views and interests than the UT defendants in the case.
“Race-conscious admissions is an indispensable tool for ensuring colleges and universities are accessible to students from all walks of life, including groups that have historically been overlooked,” said David Hinojosa, director of the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “We are pleased with the court’s order today, especially because it will allow us to lift up the couches and experience of students and organizations. Together, they have taken a stand to fight efforts that would undo over 40 years of progress on improving racial diversity in higher education. Diversity in the classroom is essential to ending systemic racism and structural inequality.”
The students identify as Mexican American, Black, Latinx and Asian American, and stand together in support of racially inclusive policies that make UT Austin more accessible. The students will spotlight how UT’s race-conscious admissions policy is necessary to counteract biases against students of color, how race plays an integral role in their identity and experiences, and how meaningful representation of certain racial and ethnic groups has not been achieved at UT Austin yet. They will also discuss the support systems that have been developed for students of color as a result of the policies that promote racial diversity.
“This is one of the most important lawsuits in our State as we must decide if we are going to turn back to the old days of Jim Crow division by using racially discriminatory devices to eliminate minority students from admission or whether we will see the social and national value of being together,” said Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas NAACP and intervenor organization.
“Our experiences as students demonstrate that diversity confers benefits both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Brianna McBride, a senior at UT Austin and student-intervenor. “The current attempts to exclude race in admissions do not align with UT’s mission and would have harmful effects on the inclusive campus environment we are actively building. As students deeply committed to racial justice, we will not falter in our fight for greater diversity. It will be necessary for the entire UT community to continue working towards greater diversity and do more, not less, to create a truly inclusive campus culture.”