Thomas joins the majority rejecting Harvard and UNC admissions policies
Clarence ThomasU.S. Supreme Court justice, in a concurring opinion
Thomas says Harvard's and UNC's admissions policies fail strict scrutiny and joins the majority opinion in full.
“Because the Court today applies genuine strict scrutiny to the race-conscious admissions policies employed at Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC) and finds that they fail that searching review, I join the majority opinion in full.”
Original text
Where this statement fits
Was the Supreme Court right to reject Harvard and UNC's race-conscious admissions programs?
The Supreme Court invalidated Harvard's and UNC's challenged admissions programs on June 29, 2023. The majority said their use of race failed equal-protection requirements. The dissents argued that the decision misunderstood equality and would deepen racial inequality in education.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
The majority, concurrences and dissents address the challenged admissions programs. Jackson participates only in the UNC case.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Immediately before discussing his decision to join the majority, Thomas says that the Constitution prevails.
After the quotation
His concurrence offers an originalist defense of a colorblind Constitution.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The action examined here is the Court's rejection of Harvard's and UNC's challenged admissions programs. Thomas expressly joins and justifies that result. He is defending the ruling, not defending the admissions programs.
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The Dispute Index. "Thomas joins the majority rejecting Harvard and UNC admissions policies". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/events/6091-thomas-says-harvard-s-and-unc-s-admissions