Moose Lodge No. v. Irvis (107 )

Appellant

Moose Lodge No. 107

Appellee

Leroy Irvis

Appellant's Claim

That discrimination against an African American man by a private lodge is not "state action" because the state granted the lodge a liquor license.

Chief Lawyer for Appellant

Frederick Bernays Wiener

Chief Lawyer for Appellee

Harry J. Rubin

Justices for the Court

Harry A. Blackmun, Warren E. Burger, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., William H. Rehnquist (writing for the Court), Potter Stewart, Byron R. White

Justices Dissenting

William J. Brennan, Jr., William O. Douglas, Thurgood Marshall

Place

Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision

12 June 1972

Decision

The Moose Lodge is a private club in which the state takes no controlling interest. Therefore, discrimination by the club cannot be outlawed under federal law.

Related Cases

• The Civil Rights Cases, 109 U.S. 3 (1883).
• Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 U.S. 1 (1948).
• Burton v. Wilmington Parking Authority, 365 U.S. 715 (1961).
• Reitman v. Mulkey, 387 U.S. 369 (1967).

Further Readings

• Bartholomew, Paul Charles. Summaries of Leading Cases on the Constitution. Totowa, NJ: Rowan & Allanheld, 1983.
• Ducat, Craig R., and Harold W. Chase. Constitutional Interpretation. St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Company, 1988.
• Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1986.