Garcia v. Cal. Polytechnic State Univ.

No. (Cal. Super. Ct. San Luis Obispo County filed, Jan. 6, 2004) ; Clearinghouse Number: 55575

Description

California State University Admissions Policy That Relies on Test Scores and Grants Geographical Preferences Violates State Law, Latino Students Allege

Abstract

Plaintiff applicants to California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, a taxpayer, and a community organization filed their complaint asking for declaratory and injunctive relief against defendant state university. Plaintiffs allege that defendant evaluates applicants according to a rigid mathematical formula that includes SAT I or ACT scores as a prominent component and that this policy has a disparate impact on Latino applicants, who score significantly lower on the tests than whites and Asian Americans. Plaintiffs also allege that defendant grants a geographic “point bonus” to applicants who live in the part of the state that defendant considers its “service area” and that whites are overrepresented in this area in relation to their overall population in the state, while Latinos, Asian Americans, and African Americans are underrepresented. Individual plaintiffs all allege that they graduated near the top of their high school classes but that defendant denied them admission due to its discriminatory policies. Plaintiffs contend that defendant’s admission policies violate California Government Code Section 11135, which prohibits discrimination in state programs.

Additional Information

Attorney Information
Plaintiffs represented by Thomas A. Saenz, Victor Viramontes, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, 634 S. Spring St., 11th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90014 (213.629.2512)
Docket Date
2004-01-06 00:00:00+00:00

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