Jenkins v. Missouri Individual Brief of Appellee the School District of the City of Independence
Public Court Documents
January 1, 1985

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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 August 19, 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.