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Department of Justice Says Affirmative Action Has Not Ended

The Department of Justice and the Department of Education issued a letter to colleges, high schools and elementary schools advising them that they can still use affirmative action in diversifying their student bodies if their state has not banned it.

Although the Supreme Court upheld Michigan's ban on using race as a factor in college admissions in April, schools in other states can still use affirmative action as a criteria in diversifying their student body, according to a statement issued by the federal government.
The Department of Justice and the Department of Education released a letter to colleges and elementary schools stating that if their states have not banned affirmative action, they may still use the method. 
"We are writing to confirm that the decision of the United States Supreme Court issued on April 22, 2014, in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, et al., leaves intact the Court’s prior holdings recognizing that institutions of higher education and elementary and secondary schools may use all legally permissible methods to achieve their diversity goals," the letter posted by Huffington Post Politics states.

Furthermore, the document emphasizes that diverse environments in education are necessary in order for all students to be productive in a diverse nation and workforce. 
Follow Natelege Whaley on Twitter: @Natelege
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