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10/09/2012 04:43 PM

Minority leaders show support for university in Fisher vs. UT case

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Lawmakers in Texas are giving opinions on a case currently under Supreme Court review. The case stems from a white University of Texas student, Abigail Fisher.

Fisher sued UT along with another plaintiff after they were denied admission. The university's admissions policy takes into account a student's race and ethnicity.

The Mexican American Legislative Caucus and the NAACP held a press conference Wednesday.

Various leaders spoke out defending the universities’ efforts towards diversity.

"Just as much as we evaluate one's athletic abilities, just as much as we evaluate if a child is a legacy of a former student, or happens to be a family member of a top university, race should also be an equally important factor," Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer said.

MALDEF filed an amicus brief this summer in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of dozens of national Latino civil rights groups defending the University of Texas.

The Supreme Court will hear testimony Wednesday.