School Board of Nassau County v. Arline
480 U.S. 273 · Decided March 3, 1987 · 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
School Board of Nassau County v. Arline was decided on March 3, 1987 by a vote of 7–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Rights of handicapped persons” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 480 U.S. 273 · 107 S. Ct. 1123 · 94 L. Ed. 2d 307 · 1987 U.S. LEXIS 1058
- Docket number
- 85-1277
- Decided
- March 3, 1987
- Argued
- December 3, 1986
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Rights of handicapped persons
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Rehabilitation Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent |
Full case caption
School Board of Nassau County, Florida, et al. v. Arline
SCDB identifiers: case 1986-045, docket 1986-045-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Rights of handicapped persons”
- United States Department of Transportation v. Paralyzed Veterans of America
- Bowen v. American Hospital Association
- Bowen v. City of New York
- Honig v. Doe
- Pittston Coal Group v. Sebben
- School Committee of the Town of Burlington v. Department of Education of Massachusetts
Cases on the same legal provision: Rehabilitation Act
- Smith v. Robinson
- Consolidated Rail Corporation v. Darrone
- Community Television of Southern California v. Gottfried
- Southeastern Community College v. Davis
- James Griffin Lane v. Federico F. Pena
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Ansonia Board of Education v. Philbrook
- Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Hector
- Munro v. Socialist Workers Party
- Tashjian v. Republican Party of ConnecticutLaw held unconstitutional
- California Federal Savings & Loan Assn. v. Guerra
- City of Pleasant Grove v. United States
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