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US Appeals Court Upholds Ban On Affirmative Action In California

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A federal appeals court on Monday dealt another legal setback to affirmative action supporters in California.

KNX 1070's Claudia Peschiutta reports the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld California's ban on considering factors such as students' race, ethnicity and gender in admissions to public colleges and universities.

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The ruling — which was the latest in a string of legal challenges dating back to when voters first passed the ban over 15 years ago — upheld the court's earlier decision back in 1997 that Proposition 209 does not violate constitutional rights.

Opponents of the ban who called for the court to reinstate affirmative action in college admissions were unfazed by the ruling.

"We're disappointed, we wish that it had gone differently, but we're not surprised," said Donna Stern with the Coalition To Defend Affirmative Action.

The original suit filed by a group of University of California minority applicants against the state in January of 2010 sought to strike down the landmark Prop. 209 approved by voters in 1996.

Upon hearing of the ruling, affirmative action supporters signaled plans to ask for a full review by the full appellate court

"We're not discouraged, because basically we believe that it's going to take direct action to win higher underrepresented minority enrollment at the U.C. schools, and we're prepared to organize that," said Stern.

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