China News Service, August 5th. According to the US "World Journal" report, a US federal judge recently dismissed a lawsuit alleging that the Montgomery County Public School System (MCPS) in Massachusetts discriminated against Asian-American students, which admitted students with new standards for the 2018 school year. , The inclusion of factors such as ethnicity and socioeconomic status into the admissions criteria triggered parents to protest against discrimination against Asians. The judge said there was no evidence that other ethnic groups benefited, nor could it prove that the revised standards of public schools attempted to discriminate.
A report released by the Montgomery County Public School System in 2016 showed that the registration and admission rates of white and Asian students were much higher than that of black and Hispanic students, so ethnicity was included as a part of the magnet program in the 2018 school year. It also assesses fifth-grade students' school grades, standardized test scores, and includes a "cognitive abilities test" that examines students' on-the-spot writing skills.
The revised admissions criteria also include "peer group consideration", which stipulates that if applicants have many peers with the same grades, they can enter advanced classes together, but if there are not enough peers partners, may need to be placed in other courses.
The adjustment caused dissatisfaction among Asian parents, who said the rule was not good for Asians. Because Asian students are relatively few in Montgomery County elementary schools, the parent organization Association for Education Fairness (Association for Education Fairness) sued Montgomery County Public Schools The system discriminates against Asian-Americans; the revised admissions criteria also compare students’ socioeconomic status with grades, a measure that parents who oppose the measure say hurts Asian-American students.
In 2020, the Montgomery County Public School system revised the admission criteria again. Due to the raging new crown pneumonia epidemic, physical examinations cannot be conducted. The public school has launched a lottery system to allow admissions to be conducted completely online. All students with grades of A, reading and mathematics standards in relevant courses Eligible to enter the lottery system, the public school will continue to draw lots until the magnetic program is full. Montgomery County Public School said in 2021 that it will continue to use this method in the future.
The "Educational Equity Association" subsequently updated the lawsuit document, accusing the new admissions method of the Montgomery County public school system to continue to discriminate against Asians. Asian parents cited data saying that 35% of Asian students achieved the "highest level" in the state standardized test. , but only 24% entered the magnet program.
Federal Judge Paula Xinis dismissed the lawsuit last week, saying there was no evidence that the Montgomery County Public Schools system's new admissions standards were unfavorable to Asian students, nor that the adjustment was discriminatory and that no one ethnic group benefited; In addition, Sinise pointed out that Asian-American students still account for a high proportion of students entering the magnet program relative to the number of applicants, and the lottery is a neutral approach and is applied fairly by Montgomery County Public Schools.
Christopher Kieser, a lawyer representing Asian-American parents, said it was regrettable that the judge dismissed the lawsuit and that the next steps would be planned in the coming days.
Chris Cram, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Public Schools system, said the public school is quite satisfied with the judge's decision, proving that the county's work is in compliance with the law.
In recent years, Asian communities have complained of discrimination in schools. At present, the legal battle between Thomas Jefferson High School (TJ High School) in Northern Virginia and Asian parents has escalated to the Supreme Court. The case is also due to school revisions. Asian-American backlash against admissions standards.
(Zhang Yun)