Anti-discrimination law
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the first major development in anti-discrimination law in the US, though prior civil rights legislation (such as the Civil Rights Act of 1957) addressed some forms of discrimination, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was much broader, providing protections for race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the areas of voting, education, employment, and public accommodations. This landmark legislation led the way for other federal legislation, which expanded upon the protected classes and forms of discrimination prohibited under federal legislation, such as the Fair Housing Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act. These protections have also been expanded through the courts interpretation of these pieces of legislation. For example, the 7th and 2nd circuit courts have both ruled that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. In addition to federal legislation, there are numerous state and local laws that address discrimination that is not covered by these laws.
Hazelwood School District v. United States
In 1969, the Hazelwood School District in Missouri hired its first black teacher, and continued hiring black teachers ever since. In 1972, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was amended to apply to public employers, including school districts, making the hiring of black teachers almost a necessity in order to avoid liability. However, due to statistical disparities in the hiring practices of this particular school district, as well as 55 individual cases of alleged discrimination, the United States brought suit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri to enjoin the school district from discriminating based on race. The District Court found in favor of the school district, saying that the ratio of black teachers to white was roughly equivalent to the ratio of black students to white.