A group of more than 20 students, ranging in gender, race and educational level, gathered yesterday on the steps of the Michigan Union to defend the use of affirmative action by announcing plans to enter the second of two lawsuits filed against the University.
A total of 41 students - who may be joined by more - along with three coalitions, filed a motion yesterday to intervene in the lawsuit challenging the use of race in the Law School's admission practices.
The group asserts its involvement as defendants in the lawsuit on the grounds that its members have a significant legal interest in the case - one that cannot be fully represented by the University.
"I felt that the attack on affirmative action would personally affect me and make it hard for me to get into a good university," said Detroit's Cass Technical High School senior Erika Dowdell, a member of the party hoping to intervene. "I have classmates that express their concerns (about affirmative action), but they're not so eager to get involved because they're afraid to speak out."
The group's members hope to combine the legal debate surrounding affirmative action with efforts to build a student movement defending the social policy at the University and on other college campuses.
"Because the right wing is attacking affirmative action through the law, we have to defend it through the law, but those legal defenses are only guaranteed to win if there is a militant civil rights movement providing the proper context for the formal debates," said Detroit attorney Miranda Massie, who is leading the group's legal action. "We see the two as absolutely indispensable to each other."
As part of this effort, members of the group - many of whom are members of the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action by Any Means Necessary on campus - are planning for a second National Day of Action this Wednesday.
The composition of the group is unlike the coalition of minority students from Detroit-area high schools that is currently seeking to intervene in a similar lawsuit filed against the College of Literature, Science and the Arts this past fall.
In addition to high school students, the second group is comprised of University undergraduate students as well as undergraduate students from California and Texas and University Law students. All of the high school and undergraduate students plan to apply to the Law School.
"I don't think we could have a more representative and diverse group," said Shanta Driver, the group's main coordinator.
Many of the group's student members said the intervening party should be diverse because the outcome of the lawsuit could adversely affect all students - not just minority students.
"You don't have to be a female or a person of color to support affirmative action," said Law first-year student Norberto Salinas. "That's what this intervention is about."
The Center for Individual Rights originally sued the Law School on Dec. 3 on behalf of Barbara Grutter, a white applicant who was denied admission to the Law School for Fall 1995. Grutter claims she was not admitted to the University, while less-qualified minority students received spots in the Law School.
Massie said members of the intervening group are attempting to remove the threat the lawsuit places on them and all other students.
"Plaintiff Barbara Grutter and racist white people that think like she does believe that there's a seat reserved for them in the front of the bus," Massie said. "The interveners are here to say, 'there is no such seat.'"
Lisa Baker, associate vice president for University relations, said she could not comment on the group's motion without studying it.
"We haven't seen the motion; therefore, we can't comment on it," Baker said.
CIR Senior Legal Counsel Terry Pell could not be reached for comment.
- Daily Staff Reporter Jennifer Yachnin contributed to this report.
03-27-98
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