"There is no level playing field in the Boston public school system. An overwhelming number of [Boston Latin students] come from private, parochial or the Metco programs in the suburban schools," says Alkins.

'Reverse Discrimination'?

But Julia's father, Michael C. McLaugh-lin--the lawyer who filed the controversial suit--believes that there are "no vestiges of past discrimination" remaining. Rather, he believes that the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction, into the realm of "reverse discrimination."

Under the new exam school policy, the top test scorers comprise half the entering class, while to other half is made up of the top scorers from each racial group, in accordance with the proportion of that racial group in the applicant pool.

Although the compromise partly was the result of his suit, McLaughlin denounces it as "race baiting" and "numerical racial warfare."

"A white or an Asian is therefore kept out not because of their performance, but because of the failure of people of his race applying in sufficient numbers," says McLaughlin. "I'm sure there are many students who would have gotten in who are Asian or white who are being kept out by the new quota, and that is fundamentally unfair because we're talking about a governmental entity."

He adds: "A private entity can do whatever it wants under the constitution, but according to the 14th Amendment, public schools can't."

McLaughlin says that he experienced such double standards firsthand when he sought a lawyer to represent his daughter in court.

"No one would take the case. The American Civil Liberties Union wouldn't take it because it was non-politically correct, and the civil-rights lawyers said they couldn't take it because it would hurt the black community," says McLaughlin. "civil rights is perceived as a black issue, when it's a people issue."

The New York Times reported that McLaughlin's former employer, the Boston law firm of Lane & Altman, dismissed him over the lawsuit.

McLaughlin, who represents women in constitutional issues regarding banking laws, then had to undertake the case himself, spending $300,000 but ultimately winning what he regards as a vindication.

Of Payzant's decision, McLaughlin says: "There are 300 other families who were offered admission as a result of Julia's case. secondly, a lot of other people know that this can't go on, especially the Asians."

To underscore his point, McLaughlin referred to Stuyvesant High School in New York City, which admits students on test scores alone.

In 1995, stuyvesant had a racial composition of 49 percent Asian, 43 percent white, 4 percent Hispanic and 4 percent black, according to The New York Times.

McLaughlin says, "If it turns out to be all Asians, then that's the way it should be because they've shown that they're the best students."

Asian-American Responses