Key Decisions on Affirmative Action
In a series of split and often very close decisions, the Supreme Court has expressed a variety of
reservations in specific situations.
| Year | Favorable/ Unfavorable Policy | Case |
Vote | Ruling |
| 1971 | yes | Griggs v. Duke Power Co. | 9-0 | Private employers must provide a remedy where minorities were denied opportunities, even if unintentional |
| 1978 | no | Regents of the University of Califiomia v. Bakke |
5-4 | Prohibited specific number of places for minorities in college admissions |
| 1979 | yes | United Steelworkers of America v. Weber |
5-2 | Okay for union to favor minorities in special training programs |
| 1984 | no | Firefighters Local Union No I784 (Memphis, TN) v. Stotts |
6-1 | Seniority means recently hired minorities may be laid off first in staff reductions |
| 1986 | yes | International Associatiation of Firefighters v. City of Cleveland |
6-3 | May promote minorities over more senior Whites |
| 1986 | yes | New York City v, Sheet Metal |
5-4 | Approved specific quota of minority workers for union |
| 1987 | yes | United States v. Paradise |
5-4 | Endorsed quotas for promotions of state troopers |
| 1987 | yes | Johnson v. Transportation Agency, Santa Clara, CA |
6-3 | Approved preference in hiring for minorities and women over better qualified men and Whites |
| 1989 | no | Richmond v. Croson Company |
6-3 | Ruled a 30 percent set-aside program for minority contractors unconstitutional |
| 1989 | no | Martin v. Wilks | 5-4 | Ruled Whites may bring reverse discrimination claims against court-approved affirmative action plans |
| 1990 | yes | Metro Boadcasting v. FCC |
5-4 | Supported federal program aimed at increasing minority ownership of broadcast licenses |
| 1995 | no | Adarand Construction Inc. v. Pena |
5-4 | Benefits based on race are constitutional only if narrowly defined to accomplish a compelling interest |
| 1996 | no | Texas v. Hopwood | * | Let stand a lower court decision covering Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas that race could not be used in college admissions |
| 2003 | yes | Grutter v. Bollinger | 5-4 | Race can be a factor in admissions at the University of Michigan Law School |
| 2003 | no | Grutz v. Bolinger | 6-3 | Cannot use a strict formula awarding advantage based on race for admissions to the University of Michigan |
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