Washington v. Davis
law case
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disparate impact
- In disparate impact: Evolution of disparate impact theory
…the disparate impact theory was Washington v. Davis (1976), in which the Supreme Court held that the theory could not be used to establish a constitutional claim—in this case, that an employment practice by the District of Columbia violated the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment—unless plaintiffs could show…
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Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp.
- In Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp.
Previously, in Washington v. Davis (1976), the court had decided that an official action would not be found unconstitutional only because a racially disproportionate impact resulted. Instead, the court required “proof of racially discriminatory intent or purpose” in order to qualify as an equal protection clause violation.
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