Roberts v. United States Jaycees (1983)
- Docket
- 83-724
- Decided
- 1983-01-01
Summary
Question: Did Minnesota's attempts to enforce the anti-discrimination law violate the Jaycees' right to free association under the First Amendment? Conclusion: In a unanimous decision, the Court held that the Jaycees chapters lacked "the distinctive characteristics that might afford constitutional protection to the decision of its members to exclude women." The Court reasoned that making women full members would not impose any serious burdens on the male members' freedom of expressive association. The Court thus held that Minnesota's compelling interest in eradicating discrimination against women justified enforcement of the state anti-discrimination law. The Court found that the Minnesota law was not aimed at the suppression of speech and did not discriminate on the basis of viewpoint.