US Justice Antonin Scalia has suggested sending African American students to “less-advanced schools” that are on “slower tracks.”

Scalia’s remarks, made during a Supreme Court session on Wednesday, surprised the African American community.

He made the comments while speaking at the court session in regard to a case concerning the admissions policy of the University of Texas at Austin, dubbed Fisher v. University of Texas.

“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. “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.”

The country’s African American scientists went to “lesser schools,” he argued, because in those places “they do not feel that they're being pushed ahead in classes that are­­ too fast for them.”

“I'm just not impressed by the fact that ­­ that the University of Texas may have fewer,” he said of minority students. “Maybe it ought to have fewer.”

African American students are seen during a protest. (file photo)

The university’s attorney, Gregory Garre, disagreed with Scalia’s viewpoint, arguing that isolating the minorities is not a solution.

“I think what experience shows, at Texas, California and Michigan, is that now is not the time and this is not the case to roll back student body diversity in America,” he said.

The case stems from a lawsuit Abigail Fisher brought against the school after being denied admission in 2008.

Fisher, a white woman, had accused the university of racial profiling in its admission processing.

According to law, the state of Texas guaranties admission to the top 10 percent in high school classes regardless of their race.