New York’s highest court has dismissed a lawsuit challenging admissions to the city’s specialized high schools and gifted-and-talented programs, reaffirming the legality of merit-based selection. Defending Education, which intervened on behalf of New York City families, played a central role in securing the ruling, joining the City of New York and other respondents to defend access to academically rigorous programs.
The Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the admission processes for selective schools do not violate the state constitution and do not discriminate against Black and Latino students. The five-judge panel found that the plaintiffs — students groups and advocates led by IntegrateNYC — failed to demonstrate they had been denied a “sound basic education” or that the city’s policies were motivated by discriminatory intent.
The lawsuit, first filed in 2021, sought to eliminate testing and screening requirements for admission to gifted programs and elite high schools such as Stuyvesant High School and Bronx High School of Science. Plaintiffs contended that the current admissions system gives White and Asian students an advantage while placing Black and Latino students at a disadvantage. The court, however, found the allegations “vague and conclusory” and said they did not demonstrate a clear link between school conditions and the city’s admissions criteria.
Defending Education characterized the decision as a victory for equal treatment under the law. Its founder and president, Nicole Neily, emphasized, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” Defending Education’s Vice President, Sarah Parshall Perry, highlighted the court’s recognition that the plaintiffs’ call for race-based admissions “isn’t just illogical, it’s unconstitutional.”
PLACE NYC, a volunteer parent-led organization supporting accelerated learning, also welcomed the outcome. Co-president Yiatin Chu said that the court’s decision “is a win for parents and students who believe in rewarding hard work and nurturing potential.”
City spokesperson Nicholas Paolucci affirmed that New York remains “committed to providing a sound education for every student.” The state Education Department said it is reviewing the decision.
The case, IntegrateNYC v. City of New York, brings to a close a four-year legal battle over the role of race and merit in admissions to one of the nation’s most competitive public school systems.
