Race Ruled a Valid Factor in Admissions

Boston’s school board can consider race when deciding which students to admit to the city’s three most competitive public schools, a federal judge ruled in a case brought by a white ninth-grader. U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro said the Boston School Committee has a “compelling interest” in promoting diversity, particularly considering the troubled racial history of the city’s schools. Sarah Wessmann had sued Boston Latin School, saying she was rejected in favor of less-qualified minority students. Under the school’s admission policy, half of the students are selected based solely on entrance exam scores and grade-point average. Admissions for the remaining half are weighted by race.