Opinion

Birdie Mae Davis v. Board of School Commissioners of Mobile County, Alabama

  • 322 F.2d 356
Court
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Filed
Oct 28, 1963
Status
Published
Author
Bell
On the bench
Cameron, Brown, Wisdom, Bell
Cited by
16 cases

The opinion

BELL, Circuit Judge

(dissenting).

I dissent. I would support the view of the District Judge that the time remaining before the opening of school in September is insufficient to make the change from a segregated to a desegregated school system as requested.

The chance of disruption of the educational process in Mobile likely to be encountered in planning and effecting the necessary changes on such short notice outweighs the damage which may be incurred by Plaintiffs in waiting another year. Thus, I would not hold that the District Judge abused his discretion. The loss of the year can be made up by requiring that two grades be desegregated beginning in 1964. I would join in the order if it encompassed this change.

Time for the effectuation of orderly school management procedures is essential, and we should be careful not to give rise to an untoward situation in school administration at this late hour. Registration for the upcoming term has been completed, and school officials and staffs are in the vacation season. This is particularly so where we are passing on a motion in a case not filed until March, 1963.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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