The consideration of race in the admissions processes at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 29. The Court’s opinion does not appear to threaten federal contractors’ affirmative action plans that are consistent with current regulations. Still, because the decision is based on the Equal Protection Clause, which applies broadly, it likely will have an impact in other areas of civil rights law, including employment and corporate compliance, diversity, and inclusion efforts. The Court’s decision is Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.
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