Mayor of Philadelphia v. Educational Equality League et al.

Decided March 25, 1974. Lewis Franklin Powell Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 72-1264 · 415 U.S. 605 (1974) · Cited 420 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 5–4.

“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.

• Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority · 297 U.S. 288 (1936)
• Carter v. Jury Comm'n of Greene Cty. · 396 U.S. 320 (1970)
• United Mine Workers of America v. Gibbs · 383 U.S. 715 (1966)
• England v. Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners · 375 U.S. 411 (1964)
• White v. Regester · 412 U.S. 755 (1973)
• Alma Motor Co. v. Timken-Detroit Axle Co. · 329 U.S. 129 (1946)
• McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green · 411 U.S. 792 (1973)
• Conley v. Gibson · 355 U.S. 41 (1957)
• New York Times Co. v. Sullivan · 376 U.S. 254 (1964)
• Dandridge v. Williams · 397 U.S. 471 (1970)
• Rosado v. Wyman · 397 U.S. 397 (1970)
• King v. Smith · 392 U.S. 309 (1968)
• McNeese v. Board of Education for Community Unit School District 187 Cahokia · 373 U.S. 668 (1963)
• Myers v. United States · 272 U.S. 52 (1926)
• Sweezy v. New Hampshire Ex Rel. Wyman · 354 U.S. 234 (1957)
• Hernandez v. Texas · 347 U.S. 475 (1954)
• Norris v. Alabama · 294 U.S. 587 (1935)
• Turner v. Fouche · 396 U.S. 346 (1970)
• Lake Carriers' Assn. v. MacMullan · 406 U.S. 498 (1972)
• Mazer v. Stein · 347 U.S. 201 (1954)
• Avery v. Georgia · 345 U.S. 559 (1953)
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America v. United States · 330 U.S. 395 (1947)
• National Licorice Co. v. National Labor Relations Board · 309 U.S. 350 (1940)
• Time, Inc. v. Pape · 401 U.S. 279 (1971)
• Township of Hillsborough v. Cromwell · 326 U.S. 620 (1946)
• California Department of Human Resources Development v. Java · 402 U.S. 121 (1971)
• Silber v. United States · 370 U.S. 717 (1962)
• General Talking Pictures Corp. v. Western Electric Co. · 304 U.S. 175 (1938)

Cited by

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

• International Brotherhood of Teamsters v. United States · 431 U.S. 324 (1977)
• Rizzo v. Goode · 423 U.S. 362 (1976)
• Hazelwood School District v. United States · 433 U.S. 299 (1977)
• Whalen v. United States · 445 U.S. 684 (1980)
• City of Houston v. Hill · 482 U.S. 451 (1987)
• City of Richmond v. J. A. Croson Co. · 488 U.S. 469 (1989)
• Dothard v. Rawlinson · 433 U.S. 321 (1977)
• Connecticut v. Teal · 457 U.S. 440 (1982)
• Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. Holder · 557 U.S. 193 (2009)
• Brown v. Socialist Workers '74 Campaign Comm. (Ohio) · 459 U.S. 87 (1982)
• Berger v. North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP · 597 U.S. 179 (2022)

Official text

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

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). 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).