Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education

Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, 402 U.S. 1 (1971), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court.

After Brown, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina school system remained largely segregated due to residential patterns. The district court ordered busing to achieve racial balance. The school board challenged the scope of the remedy, arguing that busing exceeded the court’s equitable authority.

Significance

Chief Justice Burger’s unanimous opinion upheld busing as a proper remedy for de jure segregation. The Court held that federal courts have broad equitable power to fashion remedies that achieve ’the greatest possible degree of actual desegregation,’ including busing, racial quotas, and redrawing attendance zones. The decision authorized aggressive desegregation remedies but was limited by later cases requiring proof of intentional discrimination.

Category

US Federal Case Law