Supreme Court Conclusion:
Decision: 5 votes for Boy Scouts of America, 4 vote(s) against
Legal provision: Amendment 1: Speech, Press, and Assembly
In a 5-4 opinion delivered by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, the Court held that "applying New Jersey's public accommodations law to require the Boy Scouts to admit Dale violates the Boy Scouts' First Amendment right of expressive association." The ruling gives the Boy Scouts of America a constitutional right to forbid homosexuals from serving as troop leaders. Chief Justice Rehnquist wrote for the Court that, "[t]he Boy Scouts asserts that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the values it seeks to instill," and that a gay troop leader's presence "would, at the very least, force the organization to send a message, both to the young members and the world, that the Boy Scouts accepts homosexual conduct as a legitimate form of behavior."
In summary, the Supreme Court decided to allow the Boy Scouts of America to deny the right of homosexuals to join their organization.
Decision: 5 votes for Boy Scouts of America, 4 vote(s) against
Legal provision: Amendment 1: Speech, Press, and Assembly
In a 5-4 opinion delivered by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, the Court held that "applying New Jersey's public accommodations law to require the Boy Scouts to admit Dale violates the Boy Scouts' First Amendment right of expressive association." The ruling gives the Boy Scouts of America a constitutional right to forbid homosexuals from serving as troop leaders. Chief Justice Rehnquist wrote for the Court that, "[t]he Boy Scouts asserts that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the values it seeks to instill," and that a gay troop leader's presence "would, at the very least, force the organization to send a message, both to the young members and the world, that the Boy Scouts accepts homosexual conduct as a legitimate form of behavior."
In summary, the Supreme Court decided to allow the Boy Scouts of America to deny the right of homosexuals to join their organization.