Saint Francis College v. Al-Khazraji - The Facts Of The Case, The Lower Courts Rule, The Supreme Court Affirms

decision discrimination section code

Petitioners

Saint Francis College et al.

Respondent

Majid Ghaidan Al-Khazraji, etc.

Petitioners' Claim

That a section of the U.S. Code barring racial discrimination did not apply to persons of Arab ancestry.

Chief Lawyer for Petitioners

Nick S. Fisfis

Chief Lawyer for Respondent

Caroline Mitchell

Justices for the Court

Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Sandra Day O'Connor, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., William H. Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia, John Paul Stevens, Byron R. White (writing for the Court)

Justices Dissenting

None

Place

Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision

18 May 1987

Decision

Affirmed the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals and granted the respondent the right to state his claim of racial discrimination against St. Francis College.

Significance

The Supreme Court's decision in Saint Francis College v. Al-Khazraji clarified the criteria for making a racial discrimination claim under section 1981 of the U.S. Code.

Impact

The decision issued by the Supreme Court in Saint Francis College v. Al-Khazraji established clear guidelines for future discrimination claims under Section 1981 of the U.S. Code. It reaffirmed the Court's long-standing opinion that, as Justice Brennan observed in his concurring opinion, "pernicious distinctions among individuals based solely on their ancestry are antithetical to the doctrine of equality upon which this nation is founded."

Related Cases

McNally v. United States, 483 U.S. 350 (1987).
Patterson v. McLean Credit Union, 485 U.S. 617 (1988).
Jett v. Dallas Independent School District, 491 U.S. 701 (1989).
Lampf v. Gilbertson, 501 U.S. 350 (1991).

Saint Francis College v. Al-Khazraji - The Lower Courts Rule

The U.S. District Court first had to determine whether the statute of limitations had expired on Al-Khazraji's right to sue. It held that six-year limitation applied to this case and that Al-Khazraji, therefore, had a right to bring his action in court. The district court then proceeded to the question of Al-Khazraji's right to sue based on racial discrimination. The issue was whether an Arab, cla…

Saint Francis College v. Al-Khazraji - The Supreme Court Affirms

On 18 May 1987, the Supreme Court ruled on the case. In a unanimous decision, the Court affirmed the ruling of the court of appeals and allowed Al-Khazraji to proceed with his complaint. As had two previous courts before it, the Supreme Court first established that there was no "time bar" to Al-Khazraji's complaint, since the six-year statute of limitations applied in this instance. It then moved …

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