Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan: Facts of the Case

Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan

Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan: The Court’s Ruling

The Mississippi University for Women (MUW), from its inception in 1884, had limited its enrollment to women. In the early 1970s, MUW started a four-year baccalaureate nursing program with its own faculty and admission process. Joe Hogan, a registered nurse without a baccalaureate degree, applied to the School of Nursing. Even though Hogan was otherwise qualified, officials denied him admission solely due to his sex.

Hogan filed a suit claiming that the MUW policy violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately agreed with Hogan, ruling that the gender-based policy was not substantially related to the state’s significant interest in providing educational opportunities.