North Carolina State Board of Education v. Swann
402 U.S. 43 · Decided April 20, 1971 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
North Carolina State Board of Education v. Swann was decided on April 20, 1971 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “School desegregation” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 402 U.S. 43 · 91 S. Ct. 1284 · 28 L. Ed. 2d 586 · 1971 U.S. LEXIS 55
- Docket number
- 498
- Decided
- April 20, 1971
- Argued
- October 13, 1970
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Warren E. Burger
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- School desegregation
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional 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 Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority |
Full case caption
North Carolina State Board of Education et al. v. Swann et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1970-085, docket 1970-085-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “School desegregation”
- Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
- Davis v. Board of School Commissioners of Mobile County
- McDaniel v. Barresi
- Northcross v. Board of Education of the Memphis
- Wright v. Council of the City of Emporia
- United States v. Scotland Neck City Board of EducationLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- James v. Valtierra
- Labine v. Vincent
- Gordon v. Lance
- Whitcomb v. ChavisLaw held unconstitutional
- Abate v. Mundt
- Tate v. ShortLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Oregon v. MitchellLaw held unconstitutional
- Perkins v. Matthews
- Kennerly v. District Court of the Ninth Judicial District of Montana
- Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corp.
- Relford v. Commandant, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Ft. Leavenworth
- Boddie v. ConnecticutLaw 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