Mayor of Philadelphia v. Educational Equality League
415 U.S. 605 · Decided March 25, 1974 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Mayor of Philadelphia v. Educational Equality League was decided on March 25, 1974 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Desegregation (general)” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 415 U.S. 605 · 94 S. Ct. 1323 · 39 L. Ed. 2d 630 · 1974 U.S. LEXIS 114
- Docket number
- 72-1264
- Decided
- March 25, 1974
- Argued
- December 10, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Desegregation (general)
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
Mayor of Philadelphia v. Educational Equality League et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1973-076, docket 1973-076-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Desegregation (general)”
- Tillman v. Wheaton-Haven Recreation Assn., Inc.
- Peters v. Kiff
- Moose Lodge No. 107 v. Irvis
- Alexander v. Louisiana
- Hills v. Gautreaux
- Palmer v. Thompson
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Storer v. Brown
- American Party of Texas v. White
- Lubin v. PanishLaw held unconstitutional
- Village of Belle Terre v. Boraas
- Memorial Hospital v. Maricopa CountyLaw held unconstitutional
- Kahn v. Shevin
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- United States Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Hibi
- Dennett v. Hogan
- Department of Game of Washington v. Puyallup Tribe
- Kusper v. PontikesLaw held unconstitutional
- Espinoza et Vir v. Farah Manufacturing Co., Inc.
- O'Brien v. SkinnerLaw held unconstitutional
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