Parents Involved in Cmty. Sch. v. Seattle Sch. Dist. No. 1, 551 U.S. 701, 127 S. Ct. 2738, 168 L. Ed. 2d 508 (2007)

Facts: 

Parents brought action against school district challenging, under Equal Protection Clause, student assignment plan that relied on racial classification to allocate slots in oversubscribed high schools. 

The U.S. District Court entered summary judgment for school district, and the Ninth Circuit, on rehearing en banc, ultimately affirmed.

In separate action, another parent brought similar suit against school board that used racial classification in student assignment plan for elementary school assignments and transfer requests.

The U.S. District Court upheld assignment plan, and the Sixth Circuit affirmed.

The Supreme Court granted certiorari in both cases.

Holdings: 

1. parents had standing;
2. allegedly compelling interest of diversity in higher education could not justify districts' use of racial classifications in student assignment plans, abrogating Comfort v. Lynn School Comm., 418 F.3d 1; and
3. districts failed to show that use of racial classifications in their student assignment plans was necessary to achieve their stated goal of racial diversity.

Reversed and remanded.