AICP Equal protection and discrimination cases

Question 1

Village of Arlington Heights v Metropolitan Housing Development Corp (1977)

Answer 1

SCOTUS: negative racial impact without proof of discriminatory intent does not violate 14th amendment equal protection clause, but Fair Housing Act may apply. Actual intent is much harder to prove

Question 2

Village of Belle Terre v Boaraas (1974)

Answer 2

Redefined family to limit the number of people who could live together because of student housing
SCOTUS: applied lowest level of scrutiny and upheld law saying it was fairly debatable (students are not a protected class)

Question 3

City of Cleburne v Cleburne Living Center (1985)

Answer 3

Limited development of facility for mentally retarded

SCOTUS: overturned law based on fairly debatable; too difficult to define mental retardation

Question 4

Village of Willowbrook v Olech (2000)

Answer 4

A class of one: What if there is only one person in a protected class? 
Town loaded unfair conditions on his permits
SCOTUS: supports Olech, possible to have a class of one based on personal discrimination