Filed Date: 1970
Clearinghouse coding complete
This Clearinghouse entry discusses the post 1970 proceedings in Lee v. Macon County, a seminal Alabama desegregation case. That case originated in the Middle District of Alabama and was transferred to a three-judge district court which supervised school desegregation across the state. However, after 1970, the statewide case was dissolved and desegregation cases in individual school districts were sent to the judicial districts that encompassed them. This Clearinghouse entry describes the Lee litigation in the Southern District of Alabama after 1970. To read about what happened between 1963, when the case was filed, and 1970, please see Lee v. Macon County Bd. of Ed.
Washington County
In September of 1976 in Washington County Alabama, the National Education Association (NEA), a teachers union, intervened in the case to challenge the district's policies with respect to the hiring and placement of Black teachers. The NEA alleged that the district's policies violated the 1970 desegregation order and whether several individual staffing decisions were lawful. 456 F. Supp. 1175. This litigation reached the Court of Appeals (the Fifth, and later Eleventh, Circuits) twice. 625 F.2d 1235; 682 F.2d 894.
Conecuh County
In Conecuh County, both the United States and the NEA both intervened to allege deficiencies in the county's desegregation order. Both motions were denied, but the NEA later appealed to the Fifth Circuit to challenge the hiring and firing of Black teachers. Finding that additional fact finding was needed, the Fifth Circuit remanded the case in July of 1973. 482 F.2d 1253. The District Court eventually dismissed the case in 1974 (1974 WL 10550) and was affirmed by the Fifth Circuit later that year (498 F.2d 1090).
Marengo County
After the adoption and implementation of a desegregation plan, District Judge William Brevard Hand found that Marengo County's schools had reached unitary status in 1977. The United States objected to Judge Hand's decision and filed a motion requesting that the county develop a new plan to desegregate. Judge Hand agreed, finding in an August 7, 1978, opinion that the district had "done little in complying" with the desegregation orders and imposing additional requirements on it. 454 F. Supp 918. However, more information about that litigation is not publicly available.
Dockets
In the Southern District, Lee was assigned a new docket number, not reflected in the record but later changed to 1:70-cv-05945-M. It is unclear how this docket was used, as it is not available in the record. The following cases and docket numbers are off-shoots of the original 1963 litigation:
However, these cases probably represent only a portion of the Lee desegregation litigation conducted in the Southern District of Alabama. Given that these cases happened prior to the advent of electronic filing, it is difficult for the Clearinghouse to find records for them.
Summary Authors
Jonah Hudson-Erdman (11/14/2021)
Lee v. Macon County Bd. of Ed., Middle District of Alabama (1963)
Ainsworth, Robert Andrew Jr. (Louisiana)
Bell, Griffin Boyette (Georgia)
Clark, Charles (Mississippi)
Fay, Peter Thorp (Florida)
Godbold, John Cooper (Louisiana)
Hand, William Brevard (Alabama)
Kravitch, Phyllis A. (Georgia)
Morgan, Lewis Render (Georgia)
Tate, Albert Jr. (Louisiana)
Thomas, Daniel Holcombe (Alabama)
Ainsworth, Robert Andrew Jr. (Louisiana)
Bell, Griffin Boyette (Georgia)
Clark, Charles (Mississippi)
Fay, Peter Thorp (Florida)
Godbold, John Cooper (Louisiana)
Hand, William Brevard (Alabama)
Kravitch, Phyllis A. (Georgia)
Morgan, Lewis Render (Georgia)
Tate, Albert Jr. (Louisiana)
Thomas, Daniel Holcombe (Alabama)
Young, George Cressler (Florida)
Last updated June 2, 2023, 3:04 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Alabama
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Civil Rights Division Archival Collection
Key Dates
Filing Date: 1970
Case Ongoing: No reason to think so
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Black students and their parents across the Southern District of Alabama. The United States also intervened in support of the plainiffs.
Plaintiff Type(s):
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Attorney Organizations:
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
Various City & County School Boards in the Southern District of Alabama (Various), County
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Ex parte Young (federal or state officials)
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Mixed
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Content of Injunction:
Other requirements regarding hiring, promotion, retention
Issues
General:
Staff (number, training, qualifications, wages)
Race: