Borrough v. Jenkins
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiffs, citizens and residents of Wagoner County, Oklahoma, urge, in essence, that because of their race and color they are being denied, by the- defendants, the right to freely attend the public school located in their district (the Coweta School) as enjoyed by other children living in the same district.
The essential facts are not in dispute. Prior to Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka,
In the light of these facts the court is of the opinion the controverted issue is not one which basically involves racial discrimination, and consequently the court is without jurisdiction to grant the requested relief. There is no disposition on the part of Coweta (the former all white school) to not now accept colored children and, the school’s present colored enrollment confirms this fact.
Although not necessary for the disposition of this case, the court feels constrained to observe that even if it had jurisdiction over the contested issue because of its segregation background, the court would not grant the sought-after affirmative relief. All parties before the court have evidenced the highest degree of good faith as touching the problem of racial integration in education, and the circumstances giving rise to this controversy will no longer exist by the close of the present school term. Because of the defendant school districts’ good faith strides toward complete integration, this court would have no disposition to use its equitable authority to compel Red Bird to renounce all financial rights flowing from the transfers in question for the present school term, in order to force complete and immediate integration. Under the conditions existing in
Defendants’ motion to dismiss is hereby sustained.
. Counsel stipulated that plaintiffs are colored children between the ages of 14 and 17 years of age, living either in the Coweta or Porter School Districts.
. The plaintiffs rely on 28 U.S.C.A. § 1331; 42 U.S.C.A. §§ 1981, 1983, and, 28 U.S.C.A. § 1343(3).
. Original opinion reported at 1954, 347 U.S. 483, 74 S.Ct. 686, 98 L.Ed. 873, and, supplemental opinion reported at 1955, 349 U.S. 294, 75 S.Ct. 753.
. The applicable statute, 70 OMa.Stat.1951 § 8-2 provides: “In order that any child may be transferred, a written application for such transfer, designating the district to which the transfer is desired, shall be made by either of his parents, or by his guardian, and such application shall be filed with the County Superintendent of Schools not later than May 15th, preceding the school year for which the transfer is desired. The County Superintendent of Schools shall notify, not later than May 25th, the clerk of the board of education of the district from which the transfer is proposed to be made and the clerk of the board of education of the district to which the transfer is proposed to be made. The notices of the application for transfer shall be to the effect that on or before June 5th, the board of education of either district affected by the proposed transfer shall have an opportunity to show cause why the transfer should or should not be granted, if any. The County Superintendent of Schools shall, not later than June 15th, notify, in writing, the clerk of each board of education affected as to whether or not the transfer has been granted. Provided that at any time before June 20th, the board of education of either district or the parent or guardian of the child may appeal, in writing, from the action of the County Superintendent of Schools to the district court of the county in which the child resides, and such appeal shall be heard, and a decision rendered thereon, not later than June 30th, and such decision shall be' final * * * ”
. Fn. 3, supra.
. 70 Okla.Stat.Supp. § 8-3 provides in part: “ * * * when the transfer of a child has been finally approved or’ becomes final under the provisions of this Article, such child shall not be entitled to attend school in the district from which he was transferred, even though he continues to live therein, during the school year for which the transfer was made * * Section 1-16 of the same Title states that where nnauthor
. Defendant Elmer Jenkins, Superintendent of Bed Bird, testified that a new school bus was purchased, one of the primary purposes being to have transportation for transferred colored pupils residing in the Coweta District; and that one additional teacher was hired for this school year, at a salary of $300.00 per month.
. There are some 30 colored children now attending Coweta. These include colored children living within the district who had not transferred out, or were able to have such transfers cancelled by the transferee district, together with plaintiffs who have paid tuition.
. As observed by Mr. Chief Justice Warren in the Supplemental Brown opinion, 349 U.S. 294, 299, 300, 75 S.Ct. 753, 756: “Full implementation of these constitutional principles may require solution of varied local school problems. School authorities have the primary responsibility for elucidating, assessing, and solving these problems; courts will have to consider whether the action of school authorities constitutes good faith implementation of the governing constitutional principles. * * * In fashioning and effectuating the decrees, the courts will be guided by equitable principles. Traditionally, equity has been characterized by a practical flexibility in shaping its remedié^ and by a facility for adjusting and reconciling public and private needs. These cases call for the exercise of these traditional attributes of equity power. * * *"
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Earnestine BORROUGH, A Minor, Age 16, Jessie D. Borrough, A Minor, Age 14, and Virgie May Borrough, A Minor, Age 14, by their Father and Next Friend, Jack Borrough v. Elmer JENKINS, As Superintendent of the Red Bird Dependent School District No. 35, and the Red Bird Dependent School District No. 35, a corporation
- Status
- Published