The Kamehameha Schools, established with a bequest from a Hawaiian princess in 1887, is among the most elite private educational institutions in Hawaii. Its central mission, to serve Native Hawaiians, stayed intact for decades.
That vision has long been realized through its admissions policy. While anyone can apply to attend Kamehameha’s elementary, middle and high schools, preference is given to students who can prove some Hawaiian ancestry.
As a result, almost all students attending Kamehameha are Native Hawaiians.
Now, Students for Fair Admissions, the group that successfully sued to end affirmative action in college admissions, has declared Kamehameha a new target. On Monday, it filed a lawsuit in a U.S. court in Honolulu to challenge Kamehameha’s admissions policy. The complaint argues that the institution’s policy violates a federal civil rights law prohibiting discrimination in contracts — in this case, admission contracts at a private school.
If successful, the lawsuit could overhaul the schools’ identity and mission — and possibly further fuel future challenges against racially conscious programs across the country.
“The time has come for its blood-based discrimination to end,” the lawsuit says. “Nothing about training future leaders, or preserving Hawaii’s unique culture, requires Kamehameha to block its students from learning beside children of different ancestries.”
The post This School Has Taught Native Hawaiians Since 1887. Is That Discrimination? appeared first on New York Times.
