Sex Discrimination

Question 1

Reed v. Reed (1971)

Answer 1

Sally and Cecil Reed decided to divorce and each wanted to be the owner of their dead adopted son’s estate. The Idaho Probate Code specified that “males must be preferred to females” in appointing administrators of estates. The Supreme Court ruled that the law’s dissimilar treatment of men and women was unconstitutional.

Question 2

Craig v. Boren (1976)

Answer 2

An Oklahoma law prohibited the sale of “nonintoxicating” 3.2 percent beer to males under the age of 21 and to females under the age of 18. Curtis Craig, a male then between the ages of 18 and 21 challenged the law as discriminatory. The Supreme Court ruled that gender classifications are unconstitutional unless there are statistics to prove it- Brennan wrote the majority opinion