Cooper V. Aaron (Little Rock School Case)
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Aaron v. Cooper, 156 F.Supp. 220 (1957) 156 F.Supp. 220 [2] Federal Courts United States District Court, E.D. Arkansas, Western Suits for injunctive or other prospective or Division. equitable relief; Ex parte Young doctrine Federal Courts John AARON et al., Plaintiffs, Agencies, officers, and public employees v. William G. COOPER et al., Defendants. An action seeking to enjoin the governor and other state officials from committing acts Civ. A. No. 3113. beyond their lawful authority and contrary to the | federal Constitution in preventing eligible Sept. 21, 1957. colored students from exercising their rights to attend a white high school was not a suit against the state where it did not seek to invalidate any Synopsis provision of the Arkansas statute or the Suit to enjoin the governor and other officials of the State Arkansas Constitution. of Arkansas from committing acts beyond their lawful authority and contrary to the federal Constitution and the 4 Cases that cite this headnote school district’s plan of integration and the court’s prior order by depriving eligible colored students from exercising their rights to attend a white high school. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Western Division, Ronald N. Davies, J., (sittig [3] Federal Courts by assignment) held that an injunction should be granted. State or federal matters in general Injunction granted. An injunction would be granted to enjoin the governor and other state officials from committing acts beyond their lawful authority and contrary to the federal Constitution and school district’s plan of integration and the West Headnotes (3) court’s order granted in the cause on the ground that such injunction was necessary to preserve the judicial processes of the court, to maintain [1] Militia administration of justice, and to protect the Employment in actual service constitutional rights of the eligible Negro students to attend a white high school. Governor of Arkansas, chief executive and Ark.Const. art. 6, §§ 6, 7. commander in chief of its military forces, was without lawful authority to use the national guard to deprive eligible colored students from 8 Cases that cite this headnote exercising their right to attend a white high school which right is guaranteed by the federal Constitution, the school district’s plan of integration and the court’s orders entered in the cause. Const.art. 6, § 6. Attorneys and Law Firms 9 Cases that cite this headnote *221 Wiley A. Branton, Pine Bluff, Ark., Thurgood Marshall, New York City, for plaintiffs. A. F. House, Little Rock, Ark., for defendants Cooper and 1 Aaron v. Cooper, 156 F.Supp. 220 (1957) others. and said Defendant Governor Faubus ordered that the Arkansas National Guard prevent and restrain by force the Osro Cobb, U.S. Atty., Little Rock, Ark., Donald B. Negro students, eligible to attend classes in *222 said MacGuineas, Chief, Gen. Litigation Section, Carl Eardley, high school under the plan of school integration referred Special Litigation Counsel, Civil Division, Dept. of to above, from entering the school and attending classes, Justice, Washington, D.C., James W. Gallman, Asst. U.S. and since September 2, 1957, Defendants Governor Atty., Little Rock, Ark., for the United States, as amicus Faubus, General Clinger and Lt. Col. Johnson have curiae. prevented said Negro students from attending such school by the armed force of the Arkansas National Guard. Thomas Harper, Fort Smith, Ark., Kay Matthews, Walter L. Pope, Little Rock, Ark., for defendants Faubus, Clinger, 4. The use of the Arkansas National Guard to deny access and Johnson. to the school by the Negro children upon the orders of the Defendant Governor Faubus obstructs and interferes with Opinion the carrying out and effectuation of this Court’s orders of August 28, 1956, and September 3, 1957, contrary to the due and proper administration of justice. RONALD N. DAVIES, District Judge. 5. Although the use of the armed force of the State of Arkansas to deny access to the school by Negro children has been declared by Governor Faubus to be required to This cause having been heard upon separate applications preserve peace and order, such use of the Arkansas of the United States, as amicus curiae, and of the plaintiffs National Guard was and is unlawful, and in violation of for a preliminary injunction, and it appearing that: the rights of the Negro children under the Fourteenth 1. Certain Negro students have been accepted for Amendment as determined by this Court. admission to the Little Rock Central High School and are 6. An injunction is necessary in order to protect and eligible to attend classes there in accordance with a plan preserve the judicial process of this Court, to maintain the for gradual school integration, adopted by the Little Rock due and proper administration of justice and to protect the School District on May 24, 1955, and applicable at the rights guaranteed by the Constitution to the Negro senior high school level upon the opening of the school children involved; now, therefore, term in the fall of 1957; this Court, by decree and judgment of August 28, 1956, approved said plan of It is hereby ordered and decreed that Defendant Orval E. gradual school integration and its decree was affirmed by Faubus, Governor of the State of Arkansas, General the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, Sherman T. Clinger, Adjutant General of the State of 243 F.2d 361; and this Court on September 3, 1957, Arkansas, and Lt. Col. Marion E. Johnson of the Arkansas ordered the members of the Little Rock School Board and National Guard, their officers, agents, servants, the Superintendent of the Little Rock Public Schools to employees, attorneys, all persons subject to their joint or comply forthwith with the plan of school integration several orders and directions, and all persons in active approved by this Court’s decree of August 28, 1956, 143 concert, participation or privity with them, be and they are F.Supp. 855, as to senior high school classes in the Little hereby enjoined and restrained from hereafter (a) Rock School District. obstructing or preventing, by means of the Arkansas National Guard, or otherwise, Negro students, eligible 2. The foregoing orders of this Court confirmed and under said plan of school integration to attend the Little enforced the constitutional right of the Negro children Rock Central High School, from attending said school or involved to attend the Little Rock Central High School. (b) from threatening or coercing said students not to 3. On September 2, 1957, upon orders of Defendant Orval attend said school or (c) from obstructing or interfering in E. Faubus, Governor of the State of Arkansas, and in any way with the carrying out and effectuation of this conformity therewith Defendant General Sherman T. Court’s orders of August 28, 1956, and September 3, Clinger, Adjutant General of the State of Arkansas, and 1957, in this cause, or (d) from otherwise obstructing or Defendant Lt. Col. Marion E. Johnson, of the Arkansas interfering with the constitutional right of said Negro National Guard, stationed members of the Arkansas children to attend said school. National Guard at the Little Rock Central High School 2 Aaron v. Cooper, 156 F.Supp. 220 (1957) Provided that this Order shall not be deemed to prevent 1955. This plan is set forth verbatim in this Court’s Orval E. Faubus, as Governor of the State of Arkansas, opinion entered in this case on August 27, 1956 (Aaron v. from taking any and all action he may deem necessary or Cooper, 143 F.Supp. 855, 859), and the statement of the desirable for the preservation of peace and order, by plan there set forth is incorporated herein by reference. means of the Arkansas National Guard, or otherwise, Briefly, the plan provided for a three-phase program of which does not hinder or interfere with the right of integration. Phase 1 begins at the senior high school level eligible Negro students to attend the Little Rock Central (grades 10-12) and is scheduled to start in the fall of 1957 High School. upon the completion of a new senior high school building. Phase 2 begins at the junior high school level (grades 7-9) Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law and would start following successful integration at the senior high school level (estimated at two to three years). This cause having been heard upon the separate Phase 3 begins at the elementary level (grades 1-6) and applications of plaintiffs and of the United States, as would start after successful completion of phrases 1 and 2. amicus curiae, for a preliminary injunction against Complete integration is planned to be effected not later defendants Orval E. Faubus, Governor of the State of than 1963. Arkansas, Major General Sherman T. Clinger, Adjutant General of the State of Arkansas, and Lt. Col. Marion E. 4. Subsequent to adoption of the plan, defendant Blossom Johnson, Unit Commander of the Arkansas National read and explained it to approximately 200 groups in an Guard, the Court makes the following findings of fact and effort to obtain public acceptance of its provisions and the conclusions of law: resulting orderly integration of the schools. By its plan the School Board is seeking to integrate its schools and at the Findings of Fact same time maintain and improve the quality of education available at these schools. Its objectives are to provide the 1. This action was brought by minor citizens and residents best possible education that is economically feasible, to of the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, through their legal consider each child in the light of his individual ability representatives, against the initial defendants, the Little and achievement, to provide necessary flexibility in the Rock School District, its Board of Directors, and its school curriculum from one attendance area to another, to Superintendent as a class action seeking integration of select, procure, and train an adequate school staff, to public schools in the Little Rock School District.