The U.S. Supreme Court effectively upheld affirmative action by ruling against a white Texas woman who claims she was not admitted to the University of Texas at Austin because she is Caucasian.
Abigail Fisher first sued in 2008 after she failed to make the cut when applying through a state program that admits the top 10 percent of student achievers in their classes to the state's public universities. Fisher claimed that the state's consideration of race to promote diversity on campus violated the Constitution's equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Justice Anthony Kennedy cast the swing vote and in his opinion stated that Fisher did not challenge the state’s top 10 percent policy. The court ruled the university system's holistic approach to choosing a student body beyond the top achievers -- which considers a number of factors -- can stand.
Social media reactions to the ruling were varied, including some that riffed off the cult film Friday and it's "bye Felicia" trope, using the hashtag #ByeAbbey.
