Argued December 4, 2006.Decided June 28, 2007.

Justice Charles LAWRENCE delivered the opinion of the Court.1

Plaintiffs Parents Involved in Community Schools (“Plaintiffs”) brought suit against Seattle School District No. 1 (“Defendant”); challenging an assignment plan that relied in part on racial “tiebreakers” to assign slots in oversubscribed high schools. In a separate action, McFarland v. Jefferson County Public Schools, parent and student plaintiffs challenged a school district’s race-conscious student assignment plan. In the Seattle case, the District Court granted the school district summary judgment, finding, inter alia, that its plan survived strict scrutiny on the federal constitutional claim because it was narrowly tailored to serve a compelling government interest. The Ninth Circuit affirmed. In the Jefferson County case, the District Court found that the school district had asserted a compelling interest in maintaining racially diverse schools, and that its plan was, in all relevant respects, narrowly tailored to serve that interest. The Sixth Circuit affirmed.

Argued October 12, 1977.Decided June 28, 1978.

Mr. Justice HARRIS announced the judgment of the Court.1

This case presents a challenge by the Respondent, Allan Bakke, to the Task Force Program of the Petitioner, the Medical School of the University of California at Davis (Davis). The Task Force Program was designed to open the admissions process to students of color who throughout its history the Medical School had largely excluded. The Superior Court of California, California’s trial court, sustained Bakke’s challenge, holding that Davis’ program had violated the California Constitution, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. It enjoined Davis from considering Bakke’s race or the race of any other applicant.