Find Court Cases > Martinez v. Bynum

Martinez v. Bynum

Case Date: 01/10/1983
Docket No: none

Facts of the Case 

A Texas law permitted public school districts to deny tuition-free admission to minors living apart from their parents if their primary purpose of living in the district was to attend school free of charge. Roberto Morales left his family in Mexico to live with his sister, Oralia Martinez, in Texas. When the school district denied Morales' application for free admission, Martinez challenged the law in court.

Question 

Did the Texas law violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?

Argument Martinez v. Bynum - Oral ArgumentFull Transcript Text  Download MP3Martinez v. Bynum - Opinion Announcement  Download MP3 Conclusion  Decision: 8 votes for Bynum, 1 vote(s) against Legal provision: Equal Protection

No. In an 8-to-1 decision, the Court held that the Constitution permitted states to restrict eligibility for tuition-free education to bona-fide residents. The Court found that the Texas requirement was "far more generous" than traditional residency requirements, since it extended benefits to many children even if they did not intend to remain in a school district indefinitely. No violation of the Equal Protection Clause was found.