Note to editors and producers: The following statement was issued today (Sept. 11) by UT School of Law faculty members. The names of law school professors who signed the letter are listed below:

AUSTIN, Texas–“We are members of the University of Texas Law School Faculty. We strongly disagree with the views recently expressed by our colleague, Professor Lino Graglia, about the academic qualifications of minority students and the value of diversity in higher education.

Indeed, as far as we know, Professor Graglia stands alone on the law faculty in his position on these matters. The faculty was virtually unanimous in its support of our prior admissions policies, which were extraordinarily successful in admitting and graduating generations of highly-qualified law students from all sectors of society – including our many African-American and Mexican-American students – who have gone on to take positions of leadership in their profession and their communities.

The faculty is virtually unanimous, as well, in its deep concern with the lack of racial and ethnic diversity produced by the elimination of affirmative action in admissions. We want the larger community, and particularly our past, current, and prospective students, to know that we are extremely proud of our minority students and alumni, and that we remain committed to the goals of overcoming a tragic history of exclusion and discrimination, of achieving diversity in our classrooms, and of preparing leaders of the bar and the community from all sectors of society.

While Professor Graglia has a right to hold and express his views, we feel an obligation to express our disagreement and our deep regret for the offense to our alumni, our students, and prospective students.”