Adams v. Richardson - 17 State School Districts Ordered to Enforce Civil Rights

Press Release
March 14, 1975

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Press Releases, Volume 6. Adams v. Richardson - 17 State School Districts Ordered to Enforce Civil Rights, 1975. 38cbdf0d-bb92-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/2c693126-ddde-4f8e-8082-8e8465233f63/adams-v-richardson-17-state-school-districts-ordered-to-enforce-civil-rights. Accessed December 04, 2025.

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    259 

From: Norman Bloomfield 
NAACP Legal Defen 
10 Columbus Circle 

New York, New York 10019 

Educational Fund 

Phone: (212) 586-8397 

John Pratt 

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 14 - United States District duc 

Richardson civil ri 
today issued a further order in the landmark 

suit against HEW, requiring the agency to move more 

enforce federal civil rights laws against school dist: 

border states. 

and Educational 
The action was brought by the NAACP 

@ to drag on interminably 
Finding that HEW investigations te 

trict Court ordered the ag 
out any resolution or enforcement, the Di 

wi 

to conform to a specific investigative timetable and cut off federal 

ool desegregation requireme 
school districts refusing to comply with 

The injunction requires 

3 

school district is violating the law with: 

of racial discrimination. The agency then must atter 

through voluntary means for an additional period not to exc 

not been achieved When such compliance ha 

handed down in the spring of 1972 Co) 

and a ed by the U. S. C £ Apr in 1973, the 

cials were not enfor 

colle 

(More) 



The present suit,charged that HEW officials were moving too slowly, 

and that they had not taken e cement steps against new violations of the 

law discovered after entry of the original decree. 

The plaintiffs alleged that HEW had simply abandoned any rt to 

enforce the law against 39 school districts which were among 85 systems with 

e racial composition" listed in the 

original order requiring HEW action. 

The District Court agreed and today gave HEW 60 days to begin proceedings 

against the 39 systems. Included within this group are Baltimore, Md., 

St. Louis, Mo., and Kansas City, Mo. 

Judge Pratt additionally ordered HEW officials to begin investigations 

of 125 other school districts where, in the last two years, the agency had found 

"substantially disproportionate” schools, but took no action. 

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund was represented by its 

cooperating attorneys Joseph L. Rauh, Jr., John Silard and Elliott C. Lichtman 

ef Washington, D. C. 

NOTE TO EDITOR: The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund is a 

completely separate organization, even though originally 

established by the NAACP in 1939. Our correct designation is 

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., frequently 

shortened to Legal Defense Fund. The organization has a 

national staff and headquarters in New York City, and works 

with 400 cooperating attorneys throughout the country.

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Adams v. Richardson - 17 State School Districts Ordered to Enforce Civil Rights

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