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Politics · October 19, 2026

SCOTUS Takes Up Cases On Race and School Admissions, Federal At-Home Distilling Ban

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The Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear Association for Education Fairness v. Montgomery County Board of Education, a case involving whether school admissions policies in Maryland unconstitutionally discriminate against Asian American students. The challenge focuses on a lottery-based admission system for magnet programs that replaced previous criteria during the pandemic. While the policies are facially neutral, plaintiffs argue they were designed with the specific intent to reduce the number of Asian students to increase Black and Latino enrollment. This follows the court's 2023 ruling against explicit race-based admissions at Harvard. Lower courts previously ruled in favor of the school district, holding that the policy was valid since it did not result in an aggregate disparate impact compared to the applicant pool.

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Reported across the spectrum

  • The Supreme Court agreed to hear Association for Education Fairness v. Montgomery County Board of Education.
  • The case involves four magnet middle schools in Montgomery County, Maryland.
  • The current admissions process uses a lottery system for students performing at or above the 85th percentile.
  • The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled in favor of the school district.
  • The central legal question involves how to prove discrimination in 'facially neutral' policies.

Reported by only some outlets

  • Montgomery County introduced its lottery-based system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Asian American enrollment in these programs dropped from 73% to 54% under new policies.
  • A 2017 program (since discontinued) was sparked by a report showing Black and Latino students were underrepresented.
  • The Supreme Court previously ruled against the same school district regarding religious objections to LGBTQ-themed books.

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