Dowdell v. City of Apopka
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
698 F.2d 1181 (1983)

- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
Dowdell and other Black residents (the residents) (plaintiffs) of the City of Apopka (defendant) sued the city for discrimination in its provision of municipal services, including street paving, water distribution, and storm-water drainage. The residents claimed a violation of their rights to equal protection of the laws under the Fourteenth Amendment. Until 1968, Black residents had not been allowed to live on the north side of the railroad tracks in the city. Further, the residents proffered evidence that the city had spent significantly more municipal funds on services in the predominantly White areas of the city than in the predominantly Black areas of the city. The residents presented photographs, charts, studies, and expert testimony to this effect. The district court ruled in favor of the residents, finding disparate impact and discriminatory intent in the city’s provision of street paving, water distribution, and storm-water drainage. The city appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Vance, J.)
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