Supreme Court rules Virginia Military Institute's exclusion of women unconstitutional

Jet, July 15, 1996

The Supreme Court recently ruled that the Virginia Military Institute's (VMI) banning of women is unconstitutional.

The ruling, whose 7-1 decision constitutes the strongest endorsement of sexual equality by the court in recent years, means that the Lexington, VA, military school must either admit women or go private.

Attorney General Janet Reno said in a statement, "The Supreme Court overwhelmingly has given life to the promise in the Constitution that all of us deserve an equal shot at educational opportunity."

Justice Clarence Thomas, whose son attends VMI, did not take part in the case.

The ruling will also affect The Citadel in Charleston, SC, the school ordered by a federal court to admit a woman, Shannon Faulkner, last year.

Both schools are the only state-run, male-only institutions in the country.