Trump admin rolls back Obama policy on race consideration for college admissions

Kevin Johnson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump on race-based admissions The Trump administration is rescinding Obama-era guidance on the use of race in school admissions. (July 3)

WASHINGTON--The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it was rolling back Obama administration policy that urged colleges to consider race as a factor in student admissions.

The directive effectively restores the standard set by the George W. Bush administration which encouraged educators to abide by practices that were race neutral.

In a statement, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he was rescinding the guidance which he described as "outdated, inconsistent...or otherwise improper."

“The American people deserve to have their voices heard and a government that is accountable to them," Sessions said. "When issuing regulations, federal agencies must abide by constitutional principles and follow the rules set forth by Congress and the president.''

Sessions' action, which does not have the force of law, follows his November order for a review of policies that could be interpreted as "inconsistent with current law."

"In previous administrations... agencies often tried to impose new rules on the American people without any public notice or comment period, simply by sending a letter or posting a guidance document on a website," Sessions said. "That’s wrong, and it’s not good government."

The 2011 Obama policy argued that race considerations could help diversify college campuses to "enhance" the learning experience.

"Interacting with students who have different perspectives and life experiences can raise the level of academic and social discourse both inside and outside the classroom," the Obama administration argued. "Indeed, such interaction is an education in itself."

Vanita Gupta, president of the The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, called the Trump administration's action "part of its "agenda of intolerance and discrimination."

"The Trump administration is once again failing in its responsibility for the well-being of all students by tossing aside diversity and inclusion – core American values," said Gupta, who serving as acting chief of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division during the Obama administration.