Frontiero v. Richardson
| Frontiero v. Richardson | |
|---|---|
| Argued January 17, 1973 Decided May 14, 1973 | |
| Full case name | Sharron A. Frontiero and Joseph Frontiero v. Elliot L. Richardson, Secretary of Defense, et al. |
| Citations | 411 U.S. 677 (more) 93 S. Ct. 1764; 36 L. Ed. 2d 583; 1973 U.S. LEXIS 153; 9 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1253; 5 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) ¶ 8609 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Frontiero v. Laird, 341 F. Supp. 201 (M.D. Ala.), probable jurisdiction noted, 409 U.S. 840 (1972) |
| Subsequent | None |
| Holding | |
| Statutory sex-based discrimination solely for administrative convenience is an unconstitutional violation of due process. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Plurality | Brennan, joined by Douglas, White, Marshall |
| Concurrence | Stewart (in judgment) |
| Concurrence | Powell (in judgment), joined by Burger, Blackmun |
| Dissent | Rehnquist |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. V; 37 U.S.C. §§ 401, 403; 10 U.S.C. §§ 1072, 1076 | |
Frontiero v. Richardson, 411 U.S. 677 (1973), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case which decided that benefits given by the United States military to the family of service members cannot be given out differently because of sex. Frontiero is an important decision in several respects, including the fact that it informed the military establishment that in terms of pay, allowances and general treatment, women must be considered on an equal plane as men. However, the Court did not issue a broad decision requiring the military to prove in the courts its reasons for excluding women from combat positions.