US lawsuit targets Kamehameha Schools over DEI admissions favouring Native Hawaiians, claims racial discrimination
A lawsuit has been filed in US federal court in Honolulu challenging the admissions policy of Kamehameha Schools, a prestigious private school system in Hawaii that prioritises applicants of Native Hawaiian ancestry. The complaint was lodged by Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), a group led by Edward Blum, a known opponent of affirmative action.According to court documents, the group contends that Kamehameha’s admissions criteria constitute racial discrimination, violating federal civil rights law. SFFA claims that students who are not of Native Hawaiian descent are unfairly excluded, despite being willing and eligible to apply. The complaint does not list any individual plaintiffs but asserts that the organisation has members “injured by Kamehameha’s discrimination,” as reported by the Associated Press.Long-standing policy rooted in Hawaiian royal legacyKamehameha Schools was established through the will of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, great-granddaughter of King Kamehameha I. Upon her death in 1884, Bishop directed that her estate be used to create educational opportunities for Native Hawaiian children. Today, the schools operate under that directive and are supported by an endowment valued at over $15 billion.Demand for admission remains high. Depending on campus and grade level, the school receives up to 17 applications for each available spot, according to information on its official website. Alumni and parents describe the education offered as high-quality, affordable, and deeply connected to Hawaiian cultural values.This is not the first time the policy has faced legal scrutiny. In 2005, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Kamehameha’s race-based admissions violated federal civil rights law. However, the court reversed its decision in 2006 following a rehearing. The case was ultimately settled for $7 million with the family of a non-Hawaiian student who had been denied admission.Challenge backed by national anti-DEI movementThe latest legal challenge follows the US Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action in college admissions. It forms part of a broader movement to expand the legal interpretation of racial discrimination in education, targeting policies and programmes tied to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).SFFA launched a website prior to filing the lawsuit, asking, “Is your child barred from Kamehameha Schools based on ancestry?” As quoted by the Associated Press, the complaint argues, “Nothing about training future leaders, or preserving Hawaii’s unique culture, requires Kamehameha to block its students from learning beside children of different ancestries — Asian, black, Hispanic, or white.”State Senator Jarrett Keohokalole criticised the lawsuit, calling its backers “tone deaf outsiders who know nothing about Hawaii,” as reported by the Associated Press. He highlighted Hawaii’s multiracial identity and said the policy serves to address long-standing disparities caused by US colonisation and the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.Kamehameha Schools’ trustees responded to the legal action, stating, “We are ready for this challenge. The facts and the law are on our side, and we are confident that we will prevail,” according to the Associated Press.
