Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education

1
Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education

• Lisa Marie Amabile
• EDU 361
• Professor Chamblin

2
Background

• In 1972, The Board of Education and the teachers
  union in Jackson, Michigan added a layoff
  provision to their collective bargaining
  agreement that would protect employees who were
  members of certain minority groups against
  layoffs.
• Collective bargaining
• In 1974, when layoffs became necessary, the
  tenured teachers were kept and probationary
  minority teachers were laid off, they believed
  that this resulted in a violation to the 14th
  amendment and Civil Rights Act of 1964 ( Brown v.
  Board of Education)

3
Background

• The District Court upheld the constitutionality
  of the layoff.
• Stated that these layoffs were permissible.
• The Court of Appeals affirmed.
• Later a petition for certiorari to the United
  States Supreme Court.
• Certiorari - a writ issuing from a superior court
  calling up the record of a proceeding in an
  inferior court for review.
• The argument was that they were laid off because
  of their race.
• Violation the 14th amendment which is Equal
  Protection Clause and Title VII of the Civil
  Rights Act of 1964.

4
Case of Wendy Wygant

• Schools then laid off some non-minority teachers
  while keeping other minority teachers with less
  seniority, Wendy Wygant, a displaced non-minority
  teachers, challenge the layoff in district court.
  
• The displaced non-minority teachers sued in
  federal court, alleging the violation of the 14th
  amendment.
• The District Court dismissed the teachers
  claims, holding that racial preferences were
  permissible as an attempt to remedy societal
  discrimination by providing role models for
  minority schoolchildren.
• The U.S Court of Appeals affirmed

5
Case of Wendy Wygant

• The United States Supreme Court reversed the
  decision. They believed the importance of this
  case was serious.
• Certiorari
• Other judgments Justice OConnor, Justice White,
  Justice Marshall, Justice Stevens.

6
Case of Wendy Wygant

• In a 5 to 4 decision, the Court argued that
  Wygants layoff stemmed from race and that it did
  violate the Equal Protection Clause.
• Affirmative Action
• In Brown v. Board of Ed they rejected the racial
  preferences because it had to be based on prior
  discrimination.

7
Final Decision

• The Wygant decision imposed a higher burden on
  government to justify affirmative actions
  programs, especially when white employees are
  laid off in order to kept minority employees.
• Wygant won in her favor. But she raised more
  questions that it answered. Her case was and open
  question.

8
References

• www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/.../USSC_CR_0476_02
  67_ZS.html
• www.enotes.com/wygant-v-jackson-board-education...
  /wygant-v-jackson-board-education
• www.pbs.org/beyondbrown/brownpdfs/wygantjackson.pd
  f
• legaldictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Wygantv.Ja
  cksonBoardofEducation