Federal judge tosses lawsuit alleging Philly School District’s admissions policy was based on race

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A federal judge on Friday has thrown out a lawsuit that claimed the way students are admitted to magnet schools in the Philadelphia School District was unconstitutionally based on race.

Three years ago, the district changed its admissions process for criteria-based schools from one where principals had some influence over who got in, to a lottery for qualified students.

Parents of three students who didn’t get into their top choice schools then sued the district in federal court, saying the lottery gave preferential treatment to underrepresented zip codes and effectively kept their children out of their first-choice schools.

Judge Chad Kenney dismissed the suit, saying qualified applicants within the preferred zip codes were automatically admitted, and those outside had an equal opportunity through the lottery.