Chairman Miller Says Desegregation Ruling Violates Spirit of Landmark Brown v. Board of Education Decision

June 28, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC -- Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today in response to the Supreme Court’s sharply divided 5-4 ruling against the narrowly tailored desegregation policies of the Seattle and Jefferson County (Louisville) school districts.

“Once again, a narrow Supreme Court majority turned its back on decades of precedent, and in this case, violated the spirit of Brown v. Board of Education. The goal of racial desegregation is important to the health of our nation’s schools and the achievement of all students. Despite years of progress, the fact remains that many of our schools are still separate and unequal. Local school districts struggle daily to provide a world class education for all of their students. This ruling is another obstacle on the path to educational success for minority students.”

Both school districts allowed race to be used in a limited manner to determine enrollment when there were not enough slots in students’ choice of schools. Lower courts found that both plans were crafted narrowly and achieved a compelling interest for the school district of ethnic and racial diversity.

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