Boy Scouts of America v. Dale
United States Supreme Court
530 U.S. 640 (2000)
Facts
The Boy Scouts of America (Scouts) (defendant) is a private, not-for-profit organization engaged in instilling its system of values in young people. The Scouts assert that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the values it seeks to instill. James Dale (plaintiff) is a former Eagle Scout whose adult membership with the Scouts was revoked and status as assistant scoutmaster was terminated when the Scouts learned that he is a homosexual man and gay rights activist. Dale brought suit against the Boy Scouts in New Jersey Superior Court alleging that the Scouts had violated New Jersey’s public accommodations statute and its common law by revoking Dale’s membership solely because of his homosexuality. The state court agreed, and the New Jersey Supreme Court affirmed. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Rehnquist, C.J.)
Dissent (Stevens, J.)
What to do next…
Here's why 706,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
- Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 44,400 briefs, keyed to 983 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
- The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
- Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
- Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.