Saint Francis College v. Al-Khazraji

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, classified as a Caucasian under commonly accepted racial criteria, could charge racial discrimination under the U.S. Code. At first, the court sided with Al-Khazraji and ruled that he could, but when St. Francis College moved for summary judgement before a different judge, the court ruled in its favor. The second judge interpreted Al-Khazraji's complaint asserting only discrimination on the basis of national origin and religion, not race. Al-Khazraji then appealed this decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

The court of appeals reversed the district court's ruling on the merits of the case. It also applied the statute of limitations and ruled that Al-Khazraji had filed his suit in a timely manner. It reasoned that while under current racial classifications Arabs are Caucasians, Al-Khazraji could file a discrimination complaint because Congress had intended to protect all members of any group "that is ethnically and physiognomically distinctive." St. Francis College then appealed this decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.