Connect with us

Boston, MA

US Supreme Court denies petition from parents challenging admissions to Boston’s exam schools – The Boston Globe

Published

on

US Supreme Court denies petition from parents challenging admissions to Boston’s exam schools – The Boston Globe


Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch said the district’s new policy “greatly diminish[ed]” the court’s need to review the parent coalition’s case.

“The difficulty, as I see it, is that Boston has replaced the challenged admissions policy,” Gorsuch said in his response to the parents’ petition. “The parents and students do not challenge Boston’s new policy, nor do they suggest that the city is simply biding its time, intent on reviving the old policy.”

Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.

BPS’s temporary policy resulted in a significant decrease in the number of white incoming seventh graders who received admissions offers, and a small increase in admissions for Asian American applicants. The number of Black and Latino students admitted to the exam schools rose substantially.

Advertisement

The parent coalition sued BPS in 2021 on behalf of 14 white and Asian applicants. The parents sought to ban BPS from using criteria, such as ZIP codes and socioeconomic factors, as proxies for race in order to admit more Black and Latino students to exam schools at the expense of white and Asian applicants.

The coalition also sought to have five students who were rejected under the temporary plan admitted, arguing they would have been accepted under the old policy.

Chris Kieser, senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented the parent coalition, said in a statement the district’s use of students’ ZIP codes to allocate exam school seats violated the Constitution’s promise of equal protection under the law.

“Every student should have an equal opportunity to succeed based on their merit, not where they live or the color of their skin,” Kieser said. “Regardless of today’s disappointment, the government’s use of skin color or ethnicity to choose who can attend public schools is a critical constitutional question that must be settled.”

In his dissent from the high court’s denial, Alito said the district’s temporary policy was “racial balancing by another name” and “undoubtedly unconstitutional.”

Advertisement

Spokespeople for BPS did not return requests for comment.

The temporary policy was previously upheld by the federal district court in Boston and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Oren Sellstrom, litigation director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, which represented two families who intervened in the lawsuit in support of the plan, said the court’s decision shows school districts should take steps to ensure that educational opportunities are available to all students equally.

“Our schools are stronger when classrooms are diverse and students from a wide range of backgrounds can learn from each other,” he said in a statement.

The justices earlier this year declined to hear a similar case brought by a group of Asian American parents who argued the race-neutral admissions criteria to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Virginia were designed to increase enrollment of Black and Latino students. The policy set aside seats for a portion of students from every middle school.

Last year, the court struck down race-based affirmative action admission policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.

Advertisement

Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, said in a statement the Supreme Court’s action sends a clear message that there is “no appetite for extending the affirmative action decision beyond its narrow scope in college admissions.”


Deanna Pan can be reached at deanna.pan@globe.com. Follow her @DDpan.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Boston, MA

Guerschon Yabusele credits Boston Celtics tenure for NBA comeback

Published

on

Guerschon Yabusele credits Boston Celtics tenure for NBA comeback


Guerschon Yabusele not only had a successful NBA comeback, but now, he should be an interesting free agent this summer. Yabusele bet on himself last year coming off the Paris Olympics, taking a minimum contract with the 76ers.

Due to buyout rules, Yabusele wasn’t necessarily making as much monetarily in his NBA comeback attempt. Now, Yabusele is again a free agent this summer after an impressive season in Philadelphia. But instead of wondering which NBA team will sign him, he should be in line for a payday after showing what he can contribute stateside.

Speaking with HoopsHype, Yabusele broke down the free agency process and how he expects to stay in the NBA. Plus, the former Celtics first-round pick explained why he partially credits his Boston tenure for his NBA comeback.

“Even though I was not with Boston anymore, I learned so much from that season,” Yabusele said. “And it helped me for the second part of my career after that. It really pushed me. It really, like, I had that mentality of loving that basketball. Because I know I love basketball. But if you’re in a situation that you don’t play, it’s hard. I missed it. And I was like, you know what? I want to play now. I want to be somewhere where I always play, so I always try to pick the right situation now for me.”

Advertisement

Yabusele was picked 16th overall in the 2016 draft by the Celtics before spending two seasons in Boston from 2017-19. After he was waived by the organization, Yabusele ended up in China to continue his pro career. He said it didn’t go well, forcing him to spend roughly 1.5 months without a team. Yabusele revealed that was a wake-up call as he hoped and wished for his next opportunity.

“Going through that process and just waiting like that, I was like, no, this is — it’s impossible,” Yabusele said. “This is not what I want. A couple years ago, I was drafted first-round, pick 16. How am I in this situation? I put myself into the situation to really tell me the truth about what was not right, what would I do wrong and stuff like that. I questioned myself a lot, then I went and started working out. I was like, get that mindset that, okay, I’m gonna prove everybody wrong.”

Yabusele then got his next chance with ASVEL in his native France. He played five games with them before getting re-signed. That break allowed him to sign with Real Madrid, which is where he spent three seasons, including winning a EuroLeague title. After Yabusele starred for France on their way to the silver medal at the Paris Olympics, the attention was back on him.

Yabusele is looking for his next team once again. But this time, he should have a lot more confidence he’ll land with a new squad. The Sixers have been vocal about wanting to bring him back to the organization. Other teams could also come calling. Yabusele averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 70 games last season. He also shot 38.0% on his 3-pointers as the 6-foot-8 forward fits well into the NBA game.

“I really, really want to stay in the NBA, now that I have a real reason over there I want to do some more,” Yabusele said. “Watching the playoffs, you watch those guys having fun, you always look, I want to be there. My competitor side is really pushing me to work hard this summer, try to get everything that I can to come back next season and crush it even more.”

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Boston, MA

Red Sox Host Drag Show Inside Fenway Park For Pride Night, Invite Drag Queens On Field For First Pitch Again

Published

on

Red Sox Host Drag Show Inside Fenway Park For Pride Night, Invite Drag Queens On Field For First Pitch Again


The Red Sox welcomed drag queens to Fenway Park as part of their traditional Pride Night.

The Boston Red Sox hosted their annual Pride Night on Monday and continued their tradition of hosting a drag show inside the gates of Fenway Park while also welcoming drag queens onto the field for the ceremonial first pitch.

Advertisement

Ahead of what was a 10-8 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, fans of all ages entered the gates of the historic ballpark and were greeted by a drag show on a stage built right in front of some of the concessions. 

The Red Sox and their Pride-themed logo on X shared a video of various men dressed in drag dancing for fans before the first pitch of the contest.

Speaking of the first pitch, the drag queens who participated in the show, as well as individuals representing various LGBTQ+ causes and organizations in Boston, were welcomed onto the diamond with the stadium’s announcer urging fans in attendance to applaud them.

Advertisement

“We know that visibility and inclusivity in sports not only affirm the right of everyone to participate and along, but also enrich the spirit of competition and camaraderie,” the announcer said over the stadium’s loudspeakers. 

“When teams, front offices, and fans come together to create welcoming environments, everyone can thrive and we prove that we are all better when we stand together.”

Advertisement

The Boston Legacy Football Club of the NWSL, the Boston Fleet of the PWHL, Boston Common Golf, the Boston Bruins, and Boston Celtics were all mentioned as having representatives on the field for the ceremonial first pitch.

The Red Sox have welcomed drag queens to Fenway Park for their annual Pride Night dating back to at least 2022, according to archived Getty Images. 

The Red Sox promoted Pride Night leading up to the game with an exclusive ticket purchasing offer where fans would receive a Red Sox hat in Pride colors while also inviting them to attend a Pride Party – presumably the drag show – inside Fenway Park prior to the game starting.





Source link

Continue Reading

Boston, MA

Opening statements expected in trial of Irish firefighter charged with raping woman at Boston hotel – The Boston Globe

Published

on

Opening statements expected in trial of Irish firefighter charged with raping woman at Boston hotel – The Boston Globe


Superior Court Judge Sarah W. Ellis is presiding.

Seven jurors were chosen on Friday, and on Monday, several more were seated for a total of 15. Opening statements are set to follow later Monday, officials said.

Crosbie is accused of raping a woman while she slept in March 2024, when he was in Boston to participate in St. Patrick’s Day parade with fellow members of the Dublin Fire Brigade.

Crosbie was originally scheduled to leave the United States after the parade on March 19, officials have said. But after Crosbie spoke with police on March 15, he went to Logan International Airport for a 10:10 p.m. flight bound for Ireland, officials said.

Advertisement

He boarded an earlier flight at 7 p.m., but was pulled off the airplane by State Police and arrested, officials said.

Prosecutors allege that Crosbie raped a “female stranger” at the Omni Parker House hotel in downtown Boston on March 14, 2024.

The woman, 28, had gone to dinner with coworkers at The Black Rose, a pub near Faneuil Hall, and met a man, Liam O’Brien, along with his fellow Irish firefighters, according to prosecutors and court records.

The woman told police on March 15 that she agreed to return to O’Brien’s room, which he was sharing with Crosbie, at the Omni Parker House.

Video shows that around 11:30 p.m., the woman left a restaurant with O’Brien and returned to the room, prosecutors said.

Advertisement

The pair had a consensual encounter in the room, according to prosecutors. O’Brien then fell asleep on one of two beds in the hotel room, and the woman went to sleep on the other bed, prosecutors said.

Crosbie left the hotel at 11:55 p.m., according to hotel security video, and swiped his key card back into the room at 1:55 a.m., prosecutors said. At some point in the night, the woman woke up as Crosbie was allegedly raping her, according to a police report.

The woman “tried to push the male off” and she said “What are you doing? Stop!” the report said. Crosbie said “this guy is sleeping, I know you want this. He fell asleep,” the woman told police.

The woman left at 2:15 a.m., 20 minutes after Crosbie entered the room, prosecutors said. She messaged a friend to say she had been assaulted and went to a hospital, where she spoke with police.

At a hearing in August, prosecutors requested a DNA swab from Crosbie for “comparative testing” A genital swab from the woman revealed male DNA, prosecutors said in court documents.

Advertisement

“In this case, a known DNA sample from the defendant will produce evidence relevant to the question of his guilt,” Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy, chief of the domestic violence and sexual assault unit, wrote in court papers.

Crosbie objected to providing a sample on grounds of unreasonable searches and seizures, court filings show.

“My client is not concerned about what the DNA is going to return or say,” Reilly said at the time. “He is adamant that he had no physical contact with her.”

The status of the DNA testing wasn’t immediately clear on Monday.

Material from previous Globe articles was used in this report.

Advertisement

Ava Berger can be reached at ava.berger@globe.com. Follow her @Ava_Berger_.





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending