Palmer v. Thompson 402 U.S. 217 (1971)

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PALMER v. THOMPSON 402 U.S. 217 (1971)

Under a federal court order to integrate its public recreational facilities, Jackson, Mississippi, closed four of its five public swimming pools and surrendered the city's lease on the fifth pool. In a 5–4 decision, the Supreme Court sustained the closings, stating that a legislative act does not "violate equal protection solely because of the motivations of the men who voted for it." Palmer 's statement that legislative motive is irrelevant was undermined in washington v. davis (1976) and arlington heights v. metropolitan housing development corporation (1977).

Theodore Eisenberg
(1986)

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