Board of Education of Oklahoma City v. National Gay Task Force
470 U.S. 903 · Decided March 26, 1985 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Board of Education of Oklahoma City v. National Gay Task Force was decided on March 26, 1985 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 470 U.S. 903 · 105 S. Ct. 1858 · 84 L. Ed. 2d 776 · 1985 U.S. LEXIS 1524
- Docket number
- 83-2030
- Decided
- March 26, 1985
- Argued
- January 14, 1985
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- First Amendment, miscellaneous
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr..
Full case caption
Board of Education of Oklahoma City v. National Gay Task Force
SCDB identifiers: case 1984-063, docket 1984-063-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”
- Cornelius v. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
- Roberts v. United States Jaycees
- Regan v. Time, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Federal Communications Commission v. League of Women Voters of CaliforniaLaw held unconstitutional
- Secretary of State of Maryland v. Joseph H. Munson Co., Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Seattle Times Co. v. Rhinehart
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Federal Election Commission v. National Conservative Political Action CommitteeLaw held unconstitutional
- Wayte v. United States
- Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale v. Kathleen S. McCreary
- Wallace v. JaffreeLaw held unconstitutional
- Jensen v. QuaringLaw held unconstitutional
- McDonald v. Smith
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error