Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education

This case presents the question whether a school board, consistent with the Equal Protection Clause, may extend *270preferential protection against layoffs to some of its employees because of their race or national origin.

I

In 1972 the Jackson Board of Education, because of racial tension in the community that extended to its schools, considered adding a layoff provision to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the Board and the Jackson Education Association (Union) that would protect employees who were members of certain minority groups against layoffs.1 The Board and the Union…