The Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments this week in two education disputes.
In two related cases, Goldsboro Christian Schools, Inc. v. United States and Bob Jones University v. United States, the two educational institutions have challenged the authority of the Internal Revenue Service to withhold tax-exempt status from schools that discriminate on the basis of race. The Goldsboro Schools, in North Carolina, do not admit blacks; Bob Jones University, in South Carolina, admits blacks but forbids interracial dating and marriage.
In orders issued as it began its new term last week, the Justices accepted friend-of-the-court briefs in the two cases from several organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith and the National Association of Independent Schools.
In the second education case scheduled for argument this week, an independent local teachers’ group in Perry, Ind., is challenging a National Education Association affiliate’s exclusive use of the school district’s internal mail system. The Perry Education Association, however, contends that its status as bargaining agent for the district’s teachers entitles it to exclusive use of the mailing system. The case is Perry Education Association v. Perry Local Education Association.