United States v. Virginia

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United States v. Virginia
Court U.S. Supreme Court
Citation 518 U.S. 515 (1996)
Date decided June 26, 1996
Appealed from U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
Case Opinions
majority written by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
joined by John P. Stevens, Sandra Day O'Connor, Anthony Kennedy, David Souter, Stephen Breyer
concurrence written by William H. Rehnquist
dissent written by Antonin Scalia

Facts

The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) had a male-only admission policy.

The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public institution.

Issues

Can VMI restrict the gender of students?

Holding

No.

Reasons

Because VMI failed to show "exceedingly persuasive justification" for its sex-based admissions policy, it violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.

Rule

Gender-based government action must be supported by "exceedingly persuasive justification."

Comments

Private single-gender college continue to exist in the US as of 2023.

Resources