Who brought affirmative action case to supreme court?

The Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in college admissions on Thursday, June 29 2023, stating that race cannot be a consideration and forcing universities to find new means to achieve diverse student bodies.

The affirmative action cases were filed by conservative activist Edward Blum, who was also behind an earlier challenge against the University of Texas, as well as the case that prompted the Supreme Court in 2013 to prohibit the application of a key component of the landmark Voting Rights Act.

Students for Fair Admissions, which Blum founded, filed the complaints against both colleges in 2014. The group argued that the use of race in college admissions is prohibited by the Constitution and sought for the reversal of previous Supreme Court judgements that said otherwise.

The only institutions of higher education explicitly left out of the ruling were the nation’s military academies, Roberts wrote, suggesting that national security interests could affect the legal analysis.

Blum’s group argued that schools and universities may build a diverse student body in other, race-neutral methods, such as focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni and large donors.