Schlesinger v. Ballard
| Schlesinger v. Ballard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued October 15, 1974 Decided January 15, 1975 | |
| Full case name | James R. Schlesinger, Secretary of Defense, et al. v. Ballard |
| Citations | 419 U.S. 498 (more) 95 S. Ct. 572; 42 L. Ed. 2d 610; 1975 U.S. LEXIS 22; 9 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 33; 9 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) ¶ 9894 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of California |
| Holding | |
| The Court upheld a federal statute that granted female Naval officers four more years of commissioned service before mandatory discharge than male Naval officers. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Stewart, joined by Burger, Blackmun, Powell Rehnquist |
| Dissent | Brennan, joined by Douglas, Marshall |
| Dissent | White |
Schlesinger v. Ballard, 419 U.S. 498 (1975), was a United States Supreme Court case that upheld a federal statute granting female Naval officers four more years of commissioned service before mandatory discharge than male Naval officers.[1][2]
Decision
A federal statute granted female Naval officers fourteen years of commissioned service while allowing only nine years of commissioned service for male Naval officers before mandatory discharge. The Supreme Court held that the law passed intermediate scrutiny equal protection analysis because women, excluded from combat duty, had fewer opportunities for advancement in the military. The Court found the statute to directly compensate for the past statutory barriers to advancement.[3]