Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education

E188450

Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education is a landmark 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld the use of busing and broad equitable powers by federal courts to achieve racial desegregation in public schools.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States Supreme Court case
civil rights case
landmark school desegregation case
areaOfLaw constitutional law
equal protection
arguedDate 1970-10-12
1970-10-13
category United States Supreme Court case decided by the Burger Court
United States school desegregation case
chiefJusticeAtDecision Warren E. Burger
citation 402 U.S. 1
constitutionalProvision Fourteenth Amendment
surface form: Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
court Supreme Court of the United States
decisionDate 1971-04-20
decisionType unanimous decision
fullName Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education self-linksurface differs
surface form: Swann et al. v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education et al.
holding Busing of students can be a permissible tool to achieve school desegregation.
Federal district courts have broad equitable powers to remedy past racial segregation in public schools.
Racially balanced or racially mixed schools may be required as a remedial measure in some circumstances.
impact Became a central precedent in later school desegregation litigation.
Expanded the authority of federal courts to order comprehensive desegregation plans.
Legitimized widespread use of busing as a desegregation remedy in the 1970s.
jurisdiction United States of America
surface form: United States
legalIssue school desegregation
scope of federal courts’ equitable powers
use of busing to remedy racial segregation
location Charlotte, North Carolina
surface form: Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina
majorityOpinionBy Warren E. Burger
surface form: Chief Justice Warren E. Burger
page 1
parties Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
James E. Swann et al.
precedentStatus good law as of early 21st century
relatedTo Brown v. Board of Education
Green v. County School Board of New Kent County
Keyes v. School District No. 1
remedy alteration of attendance zones
busing of students to achieve racial balance
student reassignments across school zones
use of racial ratios as a starting point in desegregation plans
reporter United States Reports
shortName Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education self-link
topic busing for school integration
federal judicial power over local school systems
remedies for de jure segregation
volume 402
vote 9-0
year 1971

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Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Milliken v. Bradley relatedTo Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Milliken I relatedTo Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
subject surface form: Milliken v. Bradley (1974)
Green v. County School Board of New Kent County precedentOf Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education fullName Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Swann et al. v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education et al.
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education shortName Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education self-link
Julius L. Chambers notableCase Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Warren Burger Court notableCase Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Burger Court notableCase Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education