NY scraps race-based STEM program after Asians claim discrimination
The state-funded Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) admits 11,000 seventh- to 12th-grade students a year for classes at 56 participating colleges and medical schools statewide, with a related College Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP).
The pre-college enrichment program aims to 'increase the number of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students prepared to enter college and improve their participation rate' in math, science, tech and health fields, according to its website.
Advertisement
3 Yiatin Chu, a co-founder of the Asian Wave alliance, praised the decision by New York state education officials to scrap a race-based admissions policy for advanced STEM classes.
James Messerschmidt
But while black, Hispanic and Native American students could apply regardless of family wealth, Asian and white schoolkids needed to meet certain income criteria — indicating they are economically challenged — or be excluded.
A federal lawsuit filed in January accused New York of engaging in blatant discrimination against Asian and white students under the program.
Advertisement
'Progress!' crowed Yiatin Chu — a co-founder of the Asian Wave alliance who said her daughter was one of the students discriminated against because of the race-based policy — to The Post.
Chu said her then-seventh-grade daughter was 'able and ready' to apply for admission to the summer 2024 STEP program at New York University but couldn't 'because her race makes her ineligible.
'It was unfair and racist for my daughter to be subjected to a low-income requirement just because she is Asian when her black and Hispanic classmates weren't,' Chu said Sunday. 'I'm glad that my lawsuit instigated revisiting these decades long, race-based standards.'
Another Asian parent said her daughter was enrolled in 11th grade abd had an overall grade-point average above 80 in math, science, and English but was 'unable to complete an application for admission' to CUNY's Baruch College 'because she was required to satisfy a family income threshold.
Advertisement
3 Chu said her daughter wasn't able to apply for the summer 2024 STEP program because of her race.
J.C.Rice
'I instead paid thousands of dollars to enroll her in an alternative summer science program,' said the parent, who asked not to be identified.
A top state education official, noting the still-pending litigation over the program, has already urged directors and administrators of STEP and CSTEP to stop using race or 'historically underrepresented minority status' to determine admissions and instead use only family income as admission criteria.
'As many of you are aware, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) is currently
engaged in active litigation concerning the eligibility criteria for participation in the Science and
Technology Entry Program (STEP),' wrote Anael Alston, the education department's assistant commissioner of the Office of Access, said in a July 8 memo to directors and administrators.
Advertisement
'The litigation challenges certain aspects of our longstanding eligibility guidelines related to student race and ethnicity,' Alston said.
'While NYSED remains committed to defending the STEP and CSTEP programs and their historic mission to increase access and opportunity for historically underrepresented students in the scientific, technical, and health-related professions, we recognize the need to provide clarity and support to the field during this period of legal uncertainty.'
The new guidance from Alston said 'effective immediately and until further notice, STEP and CSTEP grantees may determine student eligibility without regard to historically underrepresented minority status, race, or ethnicity.'
'Instead, grantees are encouraged to base eligibility decisions solely on indicators of economic disadvantage, in alignment with applicable state and federal guidelines,' Alston wrote.
'Recruitment, selection, and enrollment of new students may proceed using economic-based
eligibility criteria only. Collection or use of race, ethnicity, or minority status data is not required for eligibility.'
But Alston also appeared to defend the mandatory race-based admission policy she just eliminated.
'NYSED will continue to vigorously defend the mission and intent of STEP and CSTEP in court,' the official said.
Advertisement
The lawyers for the opposing Asian parents said state officials capitulated because they know the race-based policy is illegal. But the parents' reps complained that state officials still left wiggle room to continue discriminating against students by using words such as 'may' and 'encouraged.'
3 A federal lawsuit filed in January accused New York of engaging in blatant discrimination against Asian and white students under the program.
Andrew Schwartz / SplashNews.com
'The state of New York has raised the white flag of surrender in our lawsuit, but not high enough,' said
William Jacobson, founder of EqualProtect.org.
Advertisement
'Word games are not acceptable,' Jacobson said. 'The state must do away with the racially discriminatory eligibility requirements completely and permanently, or we will ask the court to order it.'
Erin Wilcox, a senior lawyer at Pacific Legal Foundation, said, 'The state should be requiring all schools to stop this illegal discrimination immediately, not giving them the option to continue.'
In 1985, New York lawmakers passed legislation aimed at boosting interest in STEM and healthcare among low-income and underrepresented minority students.
But racial-preference programs — aimed at correcting historic injustices or underrepresentation of blacks and other minorities — have come under the microscope after the US Supreme Court last year struck down college affirmative action programs aimed at boosting minority representation as discriminatory.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Terrified Druze Syrians speak out after deadly violence: ‘They just kill people everywhere'
Terrified minorities under attack for weeks in Syria by the country's new Islamist regime are wary of a fragile ceasefire — despite President Trump's pronouncement this week calling for the groups to be protected, their relatives told The Post. More than 1,000 Druze, the country's third largest religious minority which makes up just about three percent of the population, and 25 Syrian Christians have been killed so far in the southern district of Sweida. Safi, a Druze lawyer in Syria, described heinous violence, including the indiscriminate murders of children and elderly, while a Christian Syrian named Lama told The Post her father was shot to death while scavenging for food. Advertisement 'We believe they will continue to attack us – and the fear is growing,' Safi said, calling al-Sharaa's government 'a dictatorship…that is brutal to everyone.' 3 Food vendor Raif Rashev is Druze and survived the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas only to see his family subject to violence at home in Syria. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post 'We can't trust them. This is not a government we can make a deal with,' he added. 'Right now, we are besieged by the Islamists who don't differentiate between Christians and Druze – they're attacking everyone,' said Lama, 30, a pharmacist who just gave birth to a son. Advertisement Her father's bullet-riddled body was found by members of her church days after he'd gone out and failed to return, said Lama, who is now in hiding. 'There are no guarantees this is all over. With every ceasefire, they go back again with the missiles and snipers to attack peaceful people,' she said, adding civilians are scrambling for shelter as homes are targeted by drones. 3 Violence against religious minorities in southern Syrian has escalated in recent weeks. Getty Images A NYC chef from Syria who narrowly escaped with his life during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas says his homeland is now 'suffering a Druze October 7.' Advertisement 'My people are being abandoned. It's a massacre,' raged Raif Rashev, 41, who is Druze and said his 13-year-old cousin was killed. 'They just kill people everywhere – kids, women. It's chilling.' The violence comes months after Islamist militia Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, known as HTS, ousted President Bashar al-Assad regime. HTS, which experts said evolved from Al Qaeda, is now the main power in Syria under new President Ahmed al-Sharaa. 3 Rashev's 13-year-old cousin, seen here with his own father. He was one of hundreds of victims of violence against religious minorities in Syria. Obtained by the New York Post Advertisement The violence came after President Trump lifted longstanding sanctions against Syria in late June, interpreted by al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda leader, as a 'greenlight from the world to do what he wants,' an intelligence source told The Post. 'He's powerful enough after the announcement of lifting the sanctions. He showed he can be the dictator he wants to be,' the source said. The US State Department announced this week that Secretary of State Marco Rubio 'underscored the importance of protecting civilians' in Syria.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Immigration judges fired by Trump administration say they will fight back
CHICAGO (AP) — Federal immigration judges fired by the Trump administration are filing appeals, pursuing legal action and speaking out in an unusually public campaign to fight back. More than 50 immigration judges — from senior leaders to new appointees — have been fired since Donald Trump assumed the presidency for the second time. Normally bound by courtroom decorum, many are now unrestrained in describing terminations they consider unlawful and why they believe they were targeted. Their suspected reasons include gender discrimination, decisions on immigration cases played up by the Trump administration and a courthouse tour with the Senate's No. 2 Democrat. 'I cared about my job and was really good at it,' Jennifer Peyton, a former supervising judge told The Associated Press this week. 'That letter that I received, the three sentences, explained no reason why I was fired.' Peyton, who received the notice while on a July Fourth family vacation, was appointed judge in 2016. She considered it her dream job. Peyton was later named assistant chief immigration judge in Chicago, helping to train, mentor and oversee judges. She was a visible presence in the busy downtown court, greeting outside observers. She cited top-notch performance reviews and said she faced no disciplinary action. Peyton said she'll appeal through the Merit Systems Protection Board, an independent government agency Trump has also targeted. Peyton's theories about why she was fired include appearing on a 'bureaucrat watchdog list' of people accused by a right-wing organization of working against the Trump agenda. She also questions a courthouse tour she gave to Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois in June. The nation's immigration courts — with a backlog of about 3.5 million cases — have become a key focus of Trump's hard-line immigration enforcement efforts. The firings are on top of resignations, early retirements and transfers, adding up to 106 judges gone since January, according to the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, which represents judges. There are currently about 600 immigration judges. Several of those fired, including Peyton, have recently done a slew of interviews on local Chicago television stations and with national outlets, saying they now have a platform for their colleagues who remain on the bench. 'The ones that are left are feeling threatened and very uncertain about their future,' said Matt Biggs, the union's president. Carla Espinoza, a Chicago immigration judge since 2023, was fired as she was delivering a verdict this month. Her notice said she'd be dismissed at the end of her two-year probationary period with the Executive Office for Immigration Review. 'I am personally committed to my career. We're not political appointees,' she told AP. 'I'm entitled to a reason.' She believes the firings have disproportionately affected women and ethnic minorities, including people with Hispanic-sounding surnames like hers. She plans to take legal action before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which has also shifted focus under Trump. 'There's a very strong pattern of discriminatory factors,' she said. Espinoza thinks another reason could be her decision to release a Mexican immigrant falsely accused of threatening to assassinate Trump. Ramón Morales Reyes was accused of a writing a threatening letter by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. But the claims quickly fell apart as Wisconsin authorities determined that Morales Reyes was actually framed by a man who had previously attacked him. Espinoza said she felt pressure with public scrutiny, media coverage and Noem's statements about Morales Reyes, which weren't corrected or removed from social media. 'It's hard to silence the noise and just do your job fairly when there's so much distraction," she said. 'I think I did. And I stand by my decision as having been a fair one to release an individual who I believe was twice victimized.' Peyton said she isn't sure that working as an immigration judge is still her dream job. 'It's important that everyone in our country knows what's happening in our immigration courts,' she said. 'The Department of Justice that I joined in 2016 is not the same one now.'
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Colbert's left-wing ‘Late Show' became ‘therapy' session for liberals: study
Embattled funnyman Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' became a 'therapy' session for the left — and it's no surprise viewers took notice, a new study found. Since 2022, Colbert has hosted 176 left-leaning guests and only one Republican on soon-to-be cancelled 'The Late Show,' according to a study by media watchdog NewsBusters — a staggering imbalance that has tracked with his 2025 guest list. In just the first six months of this year, the show booked 43 left-leaning political guests — and zero conservatives — leading all late-night programs in partisan tilt. 3 A study conducted by media watchdog NewsBusters reveals that 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' has hosted 176 left-leaning guests and only one Republican since 2022. Scott Kowalchyk/CBS 'Colbert's show has been late-night group therapy for liberals,' NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck told The Post. 'Americans have continually shown they no longer have the time or patience for such partisan sneering masquerading as comedy.' Colbert's roster included 14 Democratic politicians and 29 liberal journalists or celebrities, including socialist Big Apple lawmakers such as mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani and City Comptroller Brad Lander, plus big-name Democrats like Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker. The media crowd featured MSNBC's Chris Hayes, HBO's John Oliver and New York Times columnist Ezra Klein. Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) was the only conservative to appear on 'The Late Show' since 2022, making her Colbert's lone right-leaning guest during that period. The two sparred on-air in December 2023, with Cheney pushing back against Colbert's critiques of the GOP and Donald Trump. Cheney has since been a notorious critic of Trump, consistently speaking out against his influence in the Republican party and even campaigning with Kamala Harris during the 2024 election. She could not be reached for comment. 3 Colbert booked 43 liberals and no conservatives in 2025, topping late night's partisan guest list, the study shows. Scott Kowalchyk/CBS Colbert also hosted former Illinois Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger in January 2025, though the study did not count him in the tally due to his repeated criticism of Trump and comments aligning with Democrats — including a 2024 interview where he said there's 'nothing more conservative' than voting for Kamala Harris, Houck said. The study's release came a few weeks before CBS announced 'The Late Show' will be canceled in May 2026. The network cited massive financial losses and called the move 'purely a financial decision.' But the timing raised eyebrows. Just three days earlier, Colbert used his June 30 monologue to slam CBS parent company Paramount Global for settling a $16 million defamation lawsuit with Donald Trump. The settlement helped clear the way for Paramount's $8 billion merger with Skydance Media — a deal approved Thursday by the Trump-led Federal Communications Commission. 'It's a 'big fat bribe,'' Colbert whined to viewers and warned, 'They left me alive. And now for the next 10 months, the gloves are off.' The jab sparked speculation that the cancellation wasn't just about ratings or revenue. Some CBS staffers reportedly called the decision 'chilling,' while others said the numbers spoke for themselves — pointing to The Late Show's massive $100 million-plus annual budget and costly $40 to $50 million yearly losses, all while its audience keeps shrinking. 'Year after year of this show has been defined by unrepentant sneering, visceral hatred for more than half the country,' Houck said. 'So between that and the precipitous decline in linear TV subscribers providing a steady revenue stream, Paramount was left with no choice.' Since 2022, NewsBusters tracked 511 liberal or Democratic guests across late-night TV, compared to just 14 conservatives and Republicans. The study covered the shows of five major late-night hosts: Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon and The Daily Show. 3 CBS plans to cancel 'The Late Show' in May 2026 amid steep financial losses. Scott Kowalchyk/CBS In the first six months of 2025, 'The Daily Show' stacked 32 left-leaning guests, Meyers had 16, Kimmel 10 and Fallon five. Not a single conservative, aside from 'The Daily Show's' lone outlier: policy expert Oren Cass who spoke on Trump-era tariffs, NewsBusters found. Their tally found 106 of 107 guests — spanning partisan officials and journalists or celebrities who discussed politics — leaned left, for a 99% liberal tilt. Cass, who praised 'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart for being open-minded and 'genuinely interested' during his own March appearance, said Colbert seemed to be more focused on 'reinforcing a dogmatic worldview and trying to preach to a choir.' Colbert, who did not return a request for comment, will stay on air through next spring. Over at rival networks, Kimmel is set to film the final season of his three-year deal this fall, while Fallon and Meyers re-upped last year to stay on through 2028. President Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon said a serious review is needed of the companies producing late night TV shows. 'The Federal Election Commission and [Department of Justice] must commence an immediate investigation into these companies for illegal campaign contributions,' he told The Post. 'This is a deeply ingrained pattern of criminal behavior to assist the Democratic Party. Colbert's losses could reach $500 million — that's simply a contribution in kind.'
