Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education

Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education
Argued November 6, 1985
Decided May 19, 1986
Full case nameWendy Wygant, et al. v. Jackson Board of Education, et al.
Citations476 U.S. 267 (more)
106 S. Ct. 1842; 90 L. Ed. 2d 260; 1986 U.S. LEXIS 157; 54 U.S.L.W. 4479; 40 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1321; 40 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) ¶ 36,106
ArgumentOral argument
Case history
Prior546 F. Supp. 1195 (E.D. Mich. 1982); affirmed, 746 F.2d 1152 (6th Cir. 1984); cert. granted, 471 U.S. 1014 (1985).
Holding
The layoff provision protecting minority teachers from layoffs is unconstitutional.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Warren E. Burger
Associate Justices
William J. Brennan Jr. · Byron White
Thurgood Marshall · Harry Blackmun
Lewis F. Powell Jr. · William Rehnquist
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Case opinions
PluralityPowell, joined by Burger, Rehnquist; O'Connor (all but part IV)
ConcurrenceWhite (in judgment)
ConcurrenceO'Connor (in part, in judgment)
DissentMarshall, joined by Brennan, Blackmun
DissentStevens
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. XIV
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education, 476 U.S. 267 (1986), was a case before the United States Supreme Court. It is the seminal case for the "strong-basis-in-evidence standard" for affirmative action programs.