Texas Tech settles lawsuit, agrees to remove race from admissions decisions
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center has settled a lawsuit over its admissions policies, agreeing not to consider race in evaluating applicants. The case, brought by George Stewart, alleged that the school had given preference to less-qualified minority students, a claim the university denied. While the agreement brings this dispute to a close, it reflects broader tensions in higher education over admissions criteria and fairness.
Stewart, who graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a near-perfect GPA and a solid MCAT score, argued that Texas Tech rejected him in favor of students with lower scores. He claimed to have obtained data showing that Black and Hispanic students with significantly lower MCAT scores had been admitted, while he was turned away. Texas Tech, however, has maintained that race was never a determining factor in admissions decisions.
As part of the settlement, Stewart agreed not to apply to Texas Tech again or seek employment at the institution. In return, the university reaffirmed that it would not use race as a factor in admissions. Though Texas Tech maintains that it had not engaged in race-based admissions, this settlement effectively cements its policy moving forward.
The lawsuit was backed by America First Legal, a conservative legal group founded by Stephen Miller, a former Trump administration official. Nick Barry, one of the attorneys representing Stewart, argued that the university had violated the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law. He called on other institutions to follow Texas Tech’s example and eliminate race-conscious admissions.
Stewart’s legal battle originally included five other medical schools within the University of Texas System, but those claims were eventually dropped. He was required to separate his case into two lawsuits and later withdrew the portion concerning the UT schools. While the reasons for doing so remain unclear, he retains the right to refile in the future.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office represented Texas Tech in court but declined to take on the UT schools’ defense, leaving them to hire private legal counsel. The lawsuit was part of a broader push by America First Legal to challenge race-based policies in higher education. The group had previously sued Texas A&M University over a faculty fellowship program, alleging that it discriminated against white and Asian applicants. That case was ultimately dismissed.
Legal challenges like these gained momentum after the Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that affirmative action in college admissions was unconstitutional. The decision reshaped the landscape for schools across the country, forcing many to revise their admissions policies. Texas Tech’s agreement reflects the growing pressure on universities to abandon race-conscious selection processes and focus solely on academic merit and other non-racial criteria.
Beyond higher education, America First Legal has been active in other legal battles, teaming up with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in lawsuits covering various issues, including immigration policies and gender protections in education. Some of these cases have been pursued on a pro bono basis.
The debate over affirmative action and race in admissions is unlikely to end with Texas Tech’s settlement. Many universities are navigating the post-affirmative action landscape, weighing how to ensure diversity while complying with legal restrictions. Some have turned to alternative approaches, such as considering socioeconomic status or first-generation college status as factors in admissions decisions.
For Texas Tech, this legal chapter is now closed, but the broader conversation about fairness in college admissions continues. The case highlights the ongoing national debate over how universities should balance diversity efforts with legal mandates, academic standards, and the expectations of students and applicants.
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In lawsuit settlement, Texas Tech’s med school promises it won’t consider race in admissions
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