Reviews an unresolved case involving the termination of Sharon Taxman, a white business education teacher at Piscatawny (New Jersey) High School, as a reduction-in-force measure. An African American teacher with equal seniority was retained, based on the board's commitment to affirmative action. Taxman's 1993 suit was upheld, but a circuit court…

Reviews legal theory and major affirmative-action court litigation in two areas involving public education: employment and student placement. Four U.S. Supreme Court justices solidly oppose affirmative-action plans not directly linked to governmental discrimination. Schools should consult attorneys, not advocates, as…