Kramer v. Union Free School District

395 U.S. 621 (1969)

Facts

A statute of the New York Education law states that in certain school districts, eligible voters are limited to residents who own or lease taxable property within the district, the spouse of one who owns or leases qualifying property or have custody of children enrolled in local public schools. The effect is that people who are otherwise eligible to vote in state and federal elections are denied the right to vote in school district elections. Kramer (P), a bachelor, neither owned nor leased taxable property. He claimed that the law violates equal protection. P sued in federal court claiming that § 2012 denied him equal protection of the laws in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. With one judge dissenting, a three-judge District Court dismissed P's complaint. P appealed.