Citations 413 U.S. 189 (more) Concurrence Burger (in result) | Argument Oral argument Concurrence Douglas | |
Full case name Wilfred Keyes et al. v. School District No. 1, Denver, Colorado, et al. Majority Brennan, joined by Douglas, Stewart, Marshall, Blackmun | ||
Keyes v. School District No. 1, Denver, 413 U.S. 189 (1973), was a United States Supreme Court case that claimed de facto segregation had affected a substantial part of the school system and therefore was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause. The entire district in Denver, Colorado must be desegregated. In this case black and Hispanic parents filed suit against all Denver schools due to racial segregation. The decision on this case, written by Justice William J. Brennan, was key in defining de facto segregation. Brennan found that although there were no official laws supporting segregation in Denver, "the Board, through its actions over a period of years, intentionally created and maintained the segregated character of the core city schools." The issue of "intent" would become a key factor in the Boston case.