Washington - The Supreme Court has decided against reviewing a dispute concerning the admissions policy at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia. The policy, aimed at addressing socio-economic and geographical barriers in student admissions, was challenged by a group of parents who claimed it discriminated against Asian-American students.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld the program last year, stating that its objective was to promote diversity within the student body. Despite dissenting opinions from Justices Alito and Thomas, the Supreme Court opted not to intervene in the case.

Formerly reliant on standardized tests, the school's admissions process was revised in 2020 by the Fairfax County School Board to adopt a more comprehensive approach. Under the new policy, a portion of seats are reserved for students from various socio-economic backgrounds and underrepresented middle schools.

A group of parents, The Coalition for TJ, filed a lawsuit in 2021 claiming the revised policy favored certain racial groups over others. The first year under the new system saw a decrease in Asian-American admissions while other ethnicities experienced an increase.

In February 2022, a federal district court sided with the coalition, labeling the policy as discriminatory against Asian-Americans. However, a federal appeals court later overturned this decision, emphasizing that the goal was to enhance overall diversity while dismissing claims of discriminatory intent.

The Supreme Court had the opportunity to intervene in the case earlier on but denied emergency relief requests. Following the court's recent affirmative action ruling, the parents returned in August seeking clarification on potential Equal Protection Clause violations.

While the coalition argued against race-neutral proxies producing discriminatory outcomes, the Fairfax County School Board maintained that its policy was designed to eliminate socio-economic barriers and was free of racial bias. They countered allegations of discrimination against Asian-Americans, pointing out that more students from disadvantaged Asian-American backgrounds were admitted under the revised criteria.