Board of Regents of State Colleges et al. v. Roth

Decided June 29, 1972. Potter Stewart delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 71-162 · 408 U.S. 564 (1972) · Cited 14,284 times

Holding

The Fourteenth Amendment does not require opportunity for a hearing prior to the nonrenewal of a nontenured state teacher's contract, unless he can show that the nonrenewal deprived him of an interest in 'liberty' or that he had a 'property' interest in continued employment, despite the lack of tenure or a formal contract.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 5–3.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Goldberg v. Kelly · 397 U.S. 254 (1970)
• Bell v. Burson · 402 U.S. 535 (1971)
• Cafeteria & Restaurant Workers Union, Local 473 v. McElroy · 367 U.S. 886 (1961)
• Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath · 341 U.S. 123 (1951)
• Shelton v. Tucker · 364 U.S. 479 (1960)
• Keyishian v. Board of Regents of Univ. of State of NY · 385 U.S. 589 (1967)
• Goldsmith v. United States Board of Tax Appeals · 270 U.S. 117 (1926)
• Pickering v. Board of Ed. of Township High School Dist. 205, Will Cty. · 391 U.S. 563 (1968)
• Speiser v. Randall · 357 U.S. 513 (1958)
• Truax v. Raich · 239 U.S. 33 (1915)
• Wieman v. Updegraff · 344 U.S. 183 (1952)
• Slochower v. Board of Higher Ed. of New York City · 350 U.S. 551 (1956)
• Connell v. Higginbotham · 403 U.S. 207 (1971)
• Stanley v. Illinois · 405 U.S. 645 (1972)
• Meyer v. Nebraska · 262 U.S. 390 (1923)
• Boddie v. Connecticut · 401 U.S. 371 (1971)
• Sherbert v. Verner · 374 U.S. 398 (1963)
• Bolling v. Sharpe · 347 U.S. 497 (1954)
• Wisconsin v. Constantineau · 400 U.S. 433 (1971)
• Graham v. Richardson · 403 U.S. 365 (1971)
• Schware v. Board of Bar Examiners of NM · 353 U.S. 232 (1957)
• Sweezy v. New Hampshire Ex Rel. Wyman · 354 U.S. 234 (1957)
• United States v. Lovett · 328 U.S. 303 (1946)
• Willner v. Committee on Character and Fitness, Appellate Div. of Supreme Court of NY, First Judicial Dept. · 373 U.S. 96 (1963)
• Monroe v. Pape · 365 U.S. 167 (1961)
• Griggs v. Duke Power Co. · 401 U.S. 424 (1971)
• Shapiro v. Thompson · 394 U.S. 618 (1969)
• Flemming v. Nestor · 363 U.S. 603 (1960)
• Freedman v. Maryland · 380 U.S. 51 (1965)
• Bantam Books, Inc. v. Sullivan · 372 U.S. 58 (1963)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Arnett v. Kennedy · 416 U.S. 134 (1974)
• Codd v. Velger · 429 U.S. 624 (1977)
• Paul v. Davis · 424 U.S. 693 (1976)
• Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales · 545 U.S. 748 (2005)
• Bishop v. Wood · 426 U.S. 341 (1976)
• Goss v. Lopez · 419 U.S. 565 (1975)
• Owen v. City of Independence · 445 U.S. 622 (1980)
• Conn v. Gabbert · 526 U.S. 286 (1999)
• Cleveland Board of Education v. Loudermill · 470 U.S. 532 (1985)
• Smith v. Organization of Foster Families for Equality & Reform · 431 U.S. 816 (1977)
• Regents of the University of Michigan v. Ewing · 474 U.S. 214 (1985)
• Barry v. Barchi · 443 U.S. 55 (1979)
• Greenholtz v. Inmates of the Nebraska Penal & Correctional Complex · 442 U.S. 1 (1979)
• Logan v. Zimmerman Brush Co. · 455 U.S. 422 (1982)
• Siegert v. Gilley · 500 U.S. 226 (1991)
• Davis v. Scherer · 468 U.S. 183 (1984)
• Board of Curators of the University of Missouri v. Horowitz · 435 U.S. 78 (1978)
• Board of Pardons v. Allen · 482 U.S. 369 (1987)
• O'Bannon v. Town Court Nursing Center · 447 U.S. 773 (1980)
• Kerry v. Din · 576 U.S. 86 (2015)
• Gutierrez v. Saenz · 606 U.S. 305 (2025)
• Ingraham v. Wright · 430 U.S. 651 (1977)
• City of Kenosha v. Bruno · 412 U.S. 507 (1973)
• Meachum v. Fano · 427 U.S. 215 (1976)
• Phillips v. Washington Legal Foundation · 524 U.S. 156 (1998)
• Hampton v. Mow Sun Wong · 426 U.S. 88 (1976)
• Leis v. Flynt · 439 U.S. 438 (1979)
• Nelson v. Colorado · 581 U.S. 128 (2017)
• Santosky v. Kramer · 455 U.S. 745 (1982)
• Sandin v. Conner · 515 U.S. 472 (1995)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1972). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).