Boy scouts of america v dale. Dale v. Boy Scouts of America 2022-10-28

Boy scouts of america v dale Rating: 4,4/10 1820 reviews

Boy Scouts of America v Dale, also known as the "Scouts case," was a landmark decision issued by the Supreme Court of the United States on June 28, 2000. The case concerned the constitutionality of a New Jersey law that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in public accommodations. At the center of the case was James Dale, an assistant Scoutmaster who was expelled from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in 1990 after the organization learned that he was gay.

Dale sued the BSA, alleging that the organization had violated the New Jersey law by discriminating against him on the basis of his sexual orientation. The BSA argued that it had a First Amendment right to freedom of association, which included the right to exclude individuals from membership on the basis of sexual orientation. The Supreme Court ultimately agreed with the BSA, ruling in a 5-4 decision that the organization had the right to exclude Dale from membership.

The Scouts case was significant for a number of reasons. First, it marked the first time that the Supreme Court had addressed the issue of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the context of public accommodations. Second, the case raised important questions about the balance between the right to freedom of association and the right to be free from discrimination. Finally, the decision had significant implications for other organizations, such as fraternities, sororities, and private clubs, which also rely on the right to freedom of association to exclude certain individuals from membership.

In the majority opinion, Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote that the BSA was a "expressive association" and that the organization's right to freedom of association included the right to exclude individuals who did not adhere to its values. He argued that forcing the BSA to accept Dale as a member would significantly burden the organization's ability to express its views and values, and would therefore violate the First Amendment.

The dissenting opinion, written by Justice John Paul Stevens, argued that the BSA was a "place of public accommodation" and that the organization was therefore subject to anti-discrimination laws. He argued that the majority's decision gave the BSA and other organizations a "license to discriminate" on the basis of sexual orientation.

The Scouts case had a lasting impact on the legal landscape of discrimination and freedom of association in the United States. It remains a controversial decision, with some arguing that it provides too much leeway for organizations to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, and others arguing that it protects the rights of organizations to express their views and values without interference from the government.

Boy Scouts of America v. Dale

boy scouts of america v dale

See Democratic Party of United States v. Public schools not only aid Boy Scouts by allowing the organization to use their facilities after school, but also during the school day. A position statement promulgated by the Boy Scouts in 1991 after Dale's membership was revoked but before this litigation was filed also supports its current view: "We believe that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the requirement in the Scout Oath that a Scout be morally straight and in the Scout Law that a Scout be clean in word and deed, and that homosexuals do not provide a desirable role model for Scouts. That myth is repudiated by decades of social science data that convincingly establish that being homosexual does not, in itself, derogate from one's ability to participate in and contribute responsibly and positively to society. See Massachusetts Mutual Life Ins. Boy Scout leaders are given the "advantage" of numerous training courses that teach valuable lessons in leadership and management.


Next

Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, 530 U.S. 640, 120 S. Ct. 2446, 147 L. Ed. 2d 554, 2000 U.S. LEXIS 4487

boy scouts of america v dale

Evans, advocacy of the morality of homosexuality to youth members by any adult member is grounds for revocation of the adult's membership. See Islamic Center v. Boy Scouts has been firmly committed to a diverse and "representative" membership. For the reasons set forth in this opinion, application of the LAD does not infringe on Boy Scouts' First Amendment rights. Hayes and David T. Rather, BSA's 1993 homosexual exclusion policy was based on its view that including gays would be contrary to "the expectations that Scouting families have had for the organization.


Next

Boy Scouts of America v. Dale

boy scouts of america v dale

Patterson, The evidence before this Court makes it exceptionally clear that BSA has, at most, simply adopted an exclusionary membership policy and has no shared goal of disapproving of homosexuality. We wouldn't have much confidence in a patrol cook who didn't have his pots shiny both inside and out. See Carole Jenny et al. We do not believe that homosexuality and leadership in Scouting are appropriate. As to the applicability of the LAD, the court held that Boy Scouts was not a place of public accommodation, or alternatively, that Boy Scouts was exempt under the "distinctly private" exception found at N. A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. Patrick's Day parade under a banner conveying a message of Irish and lesbian and gay pride.

Next

Boy Scouts of America v. Dale :: 530 U.S. 640 (2000) :: Justia US Supreme Court Center

boy scouts of america v dale

Government actions that unconstitutionally burden that right may take many forms, one of which is intrusion into a group's internal affairs by forcing it to accept a member it does not desire. The Supreme Court also determined that the parade itself is a "form of expression, not just motion. Indeed, from all accounts Dale was a model Boy Scout and Assistant Scoutmaster up until the day his membership was revoked, and there is no reason to believe that he would suddenly disobey the directives of BSA because of anything he said in the newspaper article. That requirement demands a showing of a clear, particular, and consistent message. This position statement was redrafted numerous times but its core message remained consistent. A Scout is CHEERFUL. A State's antidiscrimination law does not impose a "serious burden" or a "substantial restraint" upon the group's "shared goals" if the group itself is unable to identify its own stance with any clarity.

Next

DALE v. BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA

boy scouts of america v dale

We then found that GLIB's marching in the parade would be an expressive act suggesting the view "that people of their sexual orientations have as much claim to unqualified social acceptance as heterosexuals. This conclusion, remarkably, rests entirely on statements in BSA's briefs. For example, the purpose of the St. See Kiwanis, supra, 806 F. A prime example of self-identifying speech is the language of "coming out," that is, publicly acknowledging one's self as lesbian or gay.

Next

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA v. DALE

boy scouts of america v dale

City of New York, Roberts, 468 U. First, associations do not have to associate for the "purpose" of disseminating a certain message in order to be entitled to the protections of the First Amendment. Moloney, a member of the New York bar, New York City, on the briefs. Self-identifying speech that serves only to reveal the status of the speaker is always vulnerable to misinterpretation and misunderstanding based on stereotypes that are associated with the speaker's status. Swanson and Paula A. .

Next

Dale v. Boy Scouts of America

boy scouts of america v dale

To the contrary, the record discloses few instances in which the Oath and Law have been used to exclude a prospective member; in practice, they present no real impediment to joining Boy Scouts. In a Seattle Times interview, Dale said Scouting is "'about giving adolescent boys a role model. This is especially so in light of the fact that Scouts are advised to seek guidance on sexual matters from their religious leaders and Scoutmasters are told to refer Scouts to them ; 4 BSA surely is aware that some religions do not teach that homosexuality is wrong. Boy Scouts also maintains a close relationship with the military. There is no shared goal or collective effort to foster a belief about homosexuality at all—let alone one that is significantly burdened by admitting homosexuals. As Justice Stevens explains, no group can claim a right of expressive association without identifying a clear position to be advocated over time in an unequivocal way. .

Next

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA V. DALE

boy scouts of america v dale

Jean Birnbaum, Adult Sexual Orientation and Attraction to Underage Persons, 7 Archives Sexual Behav. He remained a Cub Scout until 1981, when he became a member of Boy Scout Troop 220, also in Monmouth Council. He willingly volunteers to help others without expecting payment or reward. It does not maintain or rear children. Judge Landau concurred with the majority's determination that Dale's adult membership could not be terminated, but dissented on whether Dale could be removed from his leadership position in the troop.

Next

U.S. Supreme Court Ruling that Boy Scouts Can Discriminate is 'Damaging but Limited,' ACLU Says

boy scouts of america v dale

Boy Scouts' directive that its members should follow those entities on matters of individual morality, including sexual mores, indicates that tolerance concerning homosexuality is implicit in Boy Scouts' own message on morality. Sodomy laws, as applied against homosexuals, reflect the same stereotypical thinking that we now recognize as invidious, including untenable assumptions about the morality of homosexuals, that have long been superseded and overcome. Gay Lib, 434 U. That harm can only be aggravated by the creation of a constitutional shield for a policy that is itself the product of a habitual way of thinking about strangers. For example, the purpose of the St. See ante at 589, 734 A.

Next