This week the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Jersey City Board of Education (the “District”) entered a voluntary settlement agreement to end race and national origin discrimination in student admissions at Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School, a college prep magnet school with a competitive admissions process. The settlement agreement resolves the Department’s investigation under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin.
“Quota systems that define students by their race or national origin have been illegal since the 1970s,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Federal law requires that all students, regardless of their race or national origin, be allowed to compete for admission to the best schools in their district — and this Department of Justice will ensure they have equal opportunity to do so.”
The Department’s investigation determined that McNair admitted students under a quota system that set aside a certain number of seats in four categories: “Black,” “White,” “Hispanic,” or “Other.” Applicants were divided into these categories based on their self-identification. After offering admission to an equal number of students in each category, McNair filled the remaining class seats without regard to race or national origin.
Under the settlement agreement, the District will overhaul its admissions process to end the practice of reserving a certain number of seats for students based on race or national origin. The District will no longer provide any preference or benefit to a McNair applicant based on his or her race or national origin. Before the next admissions cycle — which will be for the 2027-2028 school year — the District will adopt an admissions policy that complies with these prohibitions and train staff on nondiscriminatory admissions. In addition, the District will submit status reports to the Department on McNair’s admissions process. The settlement agreement will be in effect until Aug. 15, 2029, unless the Department and the District agree otherwise.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt, and more information about the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section’s work to combat discrimination is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.
Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
