Campaign Launched to Prevent Establishment of Quota Systems

An intensive action program to prevent the establishment of a quota system for students and faculty at the City University of New York was announced today by the New York City Councils of B’nai B’rith. This plan of action contemplates a letter writing campaign, meetings with government and school officials, support of corrective legislation and administrative procedures and public demonstrations.

One threat cited by Charles Seibel, chairman of the Metropolitan Conference of B’nai B’rith, comes from the New York City Board of Higher Education, which has been distributing questionnaires to students inquiring into their race, religious preferences, color, and national or ethnic origin. “Any survey,” he said, “conducted by a government agency seeking information about an individual’s racial, religious preferences or ethnic background should be publicly exposed as unconstitutional and a violation of the individual’s rights.”

B’nai B’rith commended a recent policy statement adopted by the Board of Higher Education which strongly supports the merit system in employment in the City University system and specifies that only the best qualified candidate for a position should be hired. “But.” Seibel said, “the Board of Higher Education must now be urged to implement this policy resolutely.”

B’nai B’rith, he said, has always supported equal opportunity for all in education and employment. “However,” he added, “we must oppose efforts which under the guise of achieving equality, promote unequal treatment based upon an individual’s race, religion and national origin. The consideration of such factors is unconstitutional, breeds divisiveness in our society, fosters mediocrity and, inevitably, leads to a quota system which is inherently unjust and discriminatory.”