Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 24, Number 4, 1 April 2007 — KS asks Supreme Court to refuse admission suit oppeol [ARTICLE]

KS asks Supreme Court to refuse admission suit oppeol

On March 16, Kamehameha Schools filed a legal brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court not to review a case challenging the schooFs Hawaiian-preference admission policy. On March 1, the attorney for an unnamed student who was denied acceptance into the school because he is not Hawaiian filed an appeal requesting the high court to hear his client's 2003 lawsuit, whieh claims that the schooFs admission

policy is racially discriminatory and violates federal civil rights law. In December, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 8-7 that Kamehameha's admission policy is legal because it seeks to improve the poor educational standing of Native Hawaiians. The 1884 will of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the greatgranddaughter of Kamehameha I, established Kamehameha Schools to educate indigent and orphaned children, with preference given to Native Hawaiian keiki. Today, the school's trust tops $7 hillion and provides for the educational needs of more than 6,500 students at its Maui, Hawai 'i Island and O'ahu campuses, as well as its 31 preschools statewide. The Supreme Court is expected to announee in the next few weeks whether it will hear the case.