THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 4, 1995 TAG: 9502040326
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Attorney General Janet Reno, commenting on a federal appeals court ruling upholding Virginia Military Institute's men-only admission policy, says ``separate is not the way to go.''
But the Department of Justice is still weighing whether it will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the attorney general said Thursday.
``We are reviewing all our legal options now because we feel strongly that separate is not the way to go,'' Reno said about a possible appeal.
Last week, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's finding that continued the single-gender curriculum at VMI, provided Virginia set up a program for women at Mary Baldwin College 35 miles away.
Earlier, Reno made remarks about the ``wonderful opportunity'' she had to study at Harvard Law School. Her comments seemed to reflect a strong belief in coeducational schooling.
When Reno was asked to elaborate about her ``separate'' schooling remark, the nation's first female attorney general offered these thoughts:
``I think one of the most rewarding things to me, if I'd been told, `Well, you couldn't be a lawyer,' and then, `Well, maybe you could be a lawyer but you'd have to go to a separate law school' - I found it a wonderful opportunity to go to Harvard Law School, to be taught by professors who were spirited, wonderful, provided great challenge.
``But as importantly, to be around men, too - men and women - to understand the complexities of the law. The law just doesn't apply in one way to women and one way to men.
``I think it just makes sense. This is the world, this is the real world. I think the whole concept of equal opportunity requires that we have the opportunity to talk together.''
Virginia Attorney General James S. Gilmore III said Reno's ``talk about opportunity rings hollow. The federal goal in this case has been in effect to destroy the diversity of opportunity that Virginia wants to offer through VMI and Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership'' at Mary Baldwin.
Gilmore added, ``The young men and women of Virginia should have the opportunity to choose a single-sex education, not be forced into a common mold by bureaucrats in Washington.''
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE by CNB