Story highlights Justice Antonin Scalia on Wednesday suggested that some African-Americans might be better off at "less-advanced"universities

The comments came during oral arguments of a case challenging University of Texas admissions standards

The court does not allow video into the room or any type of live broadcasts of oral arguments, a setup challenged by lawmakers with no success

Washington (CNN) The Supreme Court on Friday released audio of controversial comments made by Justice Antonin Scalia suggesting that some African-Americans might be better off at "less-advanced"universities, language that has caused a national uproar and spurred condemnation from elected officials including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Rep. John Lewis.

"There are those who contend that it does not benefit African-Americans to get them into the University of Texas where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less-advanced school, a slower-track school where they do well," Scalia said Wednesday during oral arguments in a case involving a race-conscious college admissions plan. The 79-year-old justice, speaking to a hushed courtroom, then referenced a friend-of-the-court brief filed in the case. "One of the briefs pointed out that most of the black scientists in this country don't come from schools like the University of Texas," he said, "they come from lesser schools where they do not feel that they're being pushed ahead in classes that are too fast for them."

Scalia said he wasn't "impressed" that the University of Texas may have fewer African Americans. "Maybe it ought to have fewer. And maybe some -- you know, when you take more, the number of blacks, really competent blacks admitted to lesser schools, turns out to be less."

Reid took to the Senate floor Thursday to condemn Scalia's statements. Lewis, a civil rights icon who marched in Selma, released a statement saying he was "shocked and amazed" by Scalia. "His suggestion that African Americans would fare better at schools that are 'less advanced' or on a 'slow track' reminds me of the kind of prejudice that led to separate and unequal school systems—a policy the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional decades ago," Lewis said.

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