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Yick Wo v Hopkins
First time a court decided that a law that is race neutral, but administered with prejudice, violates the 14th amendment. Case was started when many laundromat owners applied for a permit, but only one of the applications was granted out of the two hundred Chineese applications, while almost all non-chineese applications were granted. -
Meyer v Nebraska
Decided that a 1919 Nebraska law restricting foreign-language education violated the due process clause of the 14th amendment. It came about when Robert Meyer, after teaching German to a 10 year old, was accused of violating the Siman Act. The court ruled against him, but (after an appeal) it was decided that Meyer was in the right. -
Shelly v Kraemer
Decided that courts could not enforce racial covenants on real estate. Started when an African American family bought a house in St. Louis. Because of a covenant that barred "people of the Negro or Mongolian Race" from living there, they were sued by Louis Kraemer. The court decided that "[T]he restrictive racially-based restrictive covenants are not, on their face, invalid under the Fourteenth Amendment." But private parties may not seek judicial enforcement of a covenant. -
Brown V Board of Education
Decided that segregated schools were unconstitutional. 13 Topeka parents sues on behalf of their 20 kids. They wanted the school to reverse its policy of racial segregation. The case went to supreme court, where it combined 5 cases. Eventually, in 1953, it was decided through unanimous opinion that it was uncontitutional to segregate the school. -
Hernandez v Texas
Decided that Mexican Americans and all other racial groups in the US had equal protection under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. Came about when Pete Hernandez was convicted of murder. His legal team set out to demonstrate that the jury could not be impartial unless members of non-caucasian races were allowed on the jury-selecting committees. Ultimatley, it was decided that they would be allowed into the court -
Cooper v Aaron
Decided that states were bound to the court's decision and had to enforce it even if they didn't agree. Came about when a school district asked for suspension of the desegregation of their school. The governor (Orval Faubus) was opposed to the law. All nine justices had a joint decision that decided this. -
Loving v Virginia
Invalidated laws that prohibit interracial marriage. The case came up when Mildred and Richard Loving, and interracial couple, were both sentenced to a year in prison for marrying. There was a unanimous decision that declared these prohibitions of marriage unconstitutional. It also lead to the reversal of Pace v Alabama. -
Jones v Alfred H Mayer Co.
Ruled that congress could regulate sale of privte property in order to avoid racial discrimination. This came about when Jones (a black man) tried to buy a house in a particular neighborhood, but was denied by Alfred H Mayer Co. on account of his race (black). -
Griggs v Duke Power Co.
Established the avderse impact theory(practices in employment, housing, or other areas may be considered discriminatory and illegal if they have a disproportionate "adverse impact" on persons in a protected class). The court decided that the company's employment requirements didn't apply to how well an employee could perform the job, and was descriminatory towards blacks. -
Frontiero v Richardson
Decided that benefits given by the United States military to the family of service members cannot be given out differently because of gender. Came about when Sharron Frontiero tried to claim her husband as a dependent, but was denied.Women couldntclaimhusbands unless they could prove that their husbands were dependent on them for more then half their support. It led to an 8-1 decision in favor of Frontiero -
Bragdon v Abbott
Ruled that reproduction qualifies as a major life activity according to the ADA. Started when Sidney Abbott disclosed that she was asymptomatic HIV positive and was denied service by her dentist. The dentist would only fill the cavity in a hospital setting, but Abbott would have to pay for the hospital facility. She sued on grounds of disability discrimination. -
Obergefell v Hodges
Ruled that same sex marriage is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Due process and Equal protection clauses of the 14th amendment. There have been many cases that dealed with same sex marriage, but eventually it was decided in a 5-4 ruling that all states are required to issue marriage licences to same sex couples.
