Come together

Coalition has a distinct interest in 'U' lawsuit

While both President Clinton and the University are in the midst of legal troubles, the University received the kind of support about which Clinton could only dream. Last Thursday, an interesting yet positive move was made in regards to one of the lawsuits filed against the University's admissions policies. An independent coalition filed to intervene in the lawsuit and act as defendants in the case against admissions policies in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, asking for the same courtroom status as the plaintiffs and the University. Gaining full status as defendants in the lawsuit may prove difficult but the coalition is confident that they hold a legitimate and distinct interest in the case, which is necessary for Judge Patrick Guggan to grant third-party status. The parties involved in this coalition do hold a separate interest and deserve the opportunity to enter the lawsuit. The coalition's bold move in support of the University and affirmative action should be commended. While it is trying to defend the interests of minority students, it is also defending the interests of the entire University community, which benefits from a diverse student body.

The coalition includes 17 Detroit-area high school students, their parents, local attorneys, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Most of the students attend school in either Detroit or Ann Arbor and hold strong convictions regarding the defense of minority students applying to the University in the future. All legal fees will be paid for through the participating non-profit organizations. The coalition rightfully claims that the University's interests in furthering a diverse student body differ from minority students' more-focused interest in preserving their access to an education at the University. While the University must focus upon its right to perpetuate a diverse campus atmosphere, who then will focus upon the rights of minority students to attain the high level of education offered at the University? Enter the the coalition, which is going by the name of Citizens for Affirmative Action's Preservation.

The court should consider the difference to between the defense of the University and the defense of future minority students as a distinct one. The class-action lawsuit against LSA - filed nearly four months ago - addresses the issue of affirmative action and a public university's right to use it in the admissions process. But if the coalition could be considered a separate defense, the lawsuit could also address the effects of affirmative action as seen by future students. Addressing only affirmative action within admissions policies, without discussing the effects it will have upon applicants of all backgrounds, is wrong - the lawsuit would not address all of the relevant issues in this case.

CAAP has a legitimate claim to be involved with this lawsuit. If they are not granted full status, then the rights of minority students may never receive the attention they deserve. The coalition realizes the necessary distinction between the University's and the students' interests and has asked the court to legally validate its entrance into the lawsuit. It is now in Guggan's hands to decide whether the right of minority students to access the University's education is a worthy cause to address in a court of law.

02-09-98

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