Swann v. charlotte-mecklenburg board of education
Case name: Swann et al. v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education et al.
Year decided: 1971
Result: 9-0, in favor of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Related constitutional issue/amendment:
Civil rights or civil liberties: civil rights
Significance/precedent: The Court found that after requirements meant to desegregate schools were failed to be met, the district court can step in to ensure that effective measures are taken to desegregate schools. The Court ruled that corrective plans were to be judged by their performance and that mathematical ratios or quotas were acceptable "starting points" for desegregation. Redistricting plans that were non-contiguous were within the courts' corrective authority and should be temporary. Also, definite guidelines regarding the busing of students to particular schools cannot be established.
Quote from majority opinion: "Our objective in dealing with the issues presented by these cases is to see that school authorities exclude no pupil of a racial minority from any school, directly or indirectly, on account of race; it does not and cannot embrace all the problems of racial prejudice, even when those problems contribute to disproportionate racial concentrations in some schools."
Six-word summary: More steps to end racial segregation.
Year decided: 1971
Result: 9-0, in favor of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Related constitutional issue/amendment:
Civil rights or civil liberties: civil rights
Significance/precedent: The Court found that after requirements meant to desegregate schools were failed to be met, the district court can step in to ensure that effective measures are taken to desegregate schools. The Court ruled that corrective plans were to be judged by their performance and that mathematical ratios or quotas were acceptable "starting points" for desegregation. Redistricting plans that were non-contiguous were within the courts' corrective authority and should be temporary. Also, definite guidelines regarding the busing of students to particular schools cannot be established.
Quote from majority opinion: "Our objective in dealing with the issues presented by these cases is to see that school authorities exclude no pupil of a racial minority from any school, directly or indirectly, on account of race; it does not and cannot embrace all the problems of racial prejudice, even when those problems contribute to disproportionate racial concentrations in some schools."
Six-word summary: More steps to end racial segregation.