The ongoing legal challenge by a Boston parent group is a sign of ongoing bitterness in the struggle over policy changes designed to foster diversity at the prestigious exam schools.
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Lawyers Debate Motivations Behind Boston Exam School Changes
Boston Latin School
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Lawyers for a parent group and the Boston School Committee differed Tuesday on the motivations behind temporary changes in admissions to the city s exam schools. A representative of white and Asian parents argued the plan was racially motivated, while the committee s counsel cited the pandemic and several diversity goals.
The arguments came in a federal lawsuit filed by Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence that contends the admissions plan for this year discriminates against white and Asian applicants in some neighborhoods. Because COVID-19 prevented the administering of an admissions test, the school committee last fall adopted a plan for this year to use grades received before the pandemic and zip codes to select students for Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy and the John D. O Bryant School of Mathematics and Science.
The federal judge reviewing Boston’s plan to reform its exam-school admissions policy for evidence of discrimination said he hopes to arrive at a decision in the coming weeks.
During a hearing Tuesday morning, Judge William Young acknowledged a “time constraint” that Boston Public Schools has yet to inform applicants whether they’ve been admitted to one of the city’s three selective high schools.
Young has sought to settle this case quickly given the need to plan for next year. But he also promised to weigh strong arguments from city officials and the parent group accusing them of putting white and Asian students at an unfair disadvantage.