The US Supreme Court agrees to hear a case on race in school admissions

The case concerns admissions to four selective magnet middle schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington.

A parents' group, the Association for Education Fairness, says the race-neutral policy is designed to favour Black and Latino students over Asian American students. The school district calls it a colourblind lottery.

Lower courts dismissed the case because Asian American students were not underrepresented compared with those who applied. The justices will weigh whether a group must show it was disproportionately harmed to prove discrimination.

What's next

The court is expected to hear arguments in the coming months and rule by June, three years after it struck down affirmative action in college admissions.