Patterson v. McLean Credit Union

Decided June 15, 1989. Anthony McLeod Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 87-107 · 491 U.S. 164 (1989) · Cited 2,518 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.

• Runyon v. McCrary · 427 U.S. 160 (1976)
• Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co. · 392 U.S. 409 (1968)
• Texas Department of Community Affairs v. Burdine · 450 U.S. 248 (1981)
• McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green · 411 U.S. 792 (1973)
• Johnson v. Railway Express Agency, Inc. · 421 U.S. 454 (1975)
• Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson · 477 U.S. 57 (1986)
• Goodman v. Lukens Steel Co. · 482 U.S. 656 (1987)
• Tillman v. Wheaton-Haven Recreation Assn., Inc. · 410 U.S. 431 (1973)
• General Building Contractors Assn., Inc. v. Pennsylvania · 458 U.S. 375 (1982)
• Bob Jones University v. United States · 461 U.S. 574 (1983)
• Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Servs. · 436 U.S. 658 (1978)
• Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. v. Wilderness Society · 421 U.S. 240 (1975)
• Brown v. Board of Education · 347 U.S. 483 (1954)
• Furnco Construction Corp. v. Waters · 438 U.S. 567 (1978)
• Rodriguez De Quijas v. Shearson/American Express, Inc. · 490 U.S. 477 (1989)
• Vasquez v. Hillery · 474 U.S. 254 (1986)
• McDonald v. Santa Fe Trail Transportation Co. · 427 U.S. 273 (1976)
• Boys Markets, Inc. v. Retail Clerks Union, Local 770 · 398 U.S. 235 (1970)
• Plessy v. Ferguson · 163 U.S. 537 (1896)
• Johnson v. Transportation Agency, Santa Clara Cty. · 480 U.S. 616 (1987)
• City of Memphis v. Greene · 451 U.S. 100 (1981)
• Shaare Tefila Congregation v. Cobb · 481 U.S. 615 (1987)
• Hishon v. King & Spalding · 467 U.S. 69 (1984)
• Califano v. Sanders · 430 U.S. 99 (1977)
• Sedima, S. P. R. L. v. Imrex Co. · 473 U.S. 479 (1985)
• Braden v. 30th Judicial Circuit Court of Kentucky · 410 U.S. 484 (1973)
• United States Postal Service Board of Governors v. Aikens · 460 U.S. 711 (1983)
• Delaware State College v. Ricks · 449 U.S. 250 (1980)
• Patsy v. Board of Regents of Fla. · 457 U.S. 496 (1982)
• Shearson/American Express Inc. v. McMahon · 482 U.S. 220 (1987)

Cited by

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

• Rivers v. Roadway Express, Inc. · 511 U.S. 298 (1994)
• John R. Sand & Gravel Co. v. United States · 552 U.S. 130 (2008)
• CBOCS West, Inc. v. Humphries · 553 U.S. 442 (2008)
• Lytle v. Household Manufacturing, Inc. · 494 U.S. 545 (1990)
• Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment, LLC · 576 U.S. 466 (2015)
• Comcast Corp. v. National Assn. of African-American Owned Media · 589 U.S. 327 (2020)
• Michigan v. Bay Mills Indian Community · 572 U.S. 782 (2014)
• Hubbard v. United States · 514 U.S. 695 (1995)
• Payne v. Tennessee · 501 U.S. 808 (1991)
• Jones v. R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co. · 541 U.S. 369 (2004)
• Kisor v. Wilkie · 588 U.S. 558 (2019)
• Dickerson v. United States · 530 U.S. 428 (2000)
• St. Mary's Honor Center v. Hicks · 509 U.S. 502 (1993)
• Bousley v. United States · 523 U.S. 614 (1998)
• Arizona v. Gant · 556 U.S. 332 (2009)
• West Virginia University Hospitals, Inc. v. Casey · 499 U.S. 83 (1991)
• Domino's Pizza, Inc. v. McDonald · 546 U.S. 470 (2006)
• Bond v. United States · 572 U.S. 844 (2014)
• California v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission · 495 U.S. 490 (1990)
• Landgraf v. USI Film Products · 511 U.S. 244 (1994)
• Ring v. Arizona · 536 U.S. 584 (2002)
• Central Bank of Denver, N. A. v. First Interstate Bank of Denver, N. A. · 511 U.S. 164 (1994)
• Allied-Bruce Terminix Cos., Inc. v. Dobson · 513 U.S. 265 (1995)
• United States v. Burke · 504 U.S. 229 (1992)
• Quill Corp. v. North Dakota Ex Rel. Heitkamp · 504 U.S. 298 (1992)
• Hohn v. United States · 524 U.S. 236 (1998)
• 14 Penn Plaza LLC v. Pyett · 556 U.S. 247 (2009)
• Hilton v. South Carolina Public Railways Commission · 502 U.S. 197 (1991)
• Holder v. Hall · 512 U.S. 874 (1994)
• Faragher v. City of Boca Raton · 524 U.S. 775 (1998)

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).