Village of Willowbrook v. Olech
- Decided
- February 23, 2000
- Docket
- 98-1288
- Status
- Published
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
Cited 3,896 timesNo negative treatment found in this library
What later courts said
- holding that such a violation may occur when the government singles an individual out for irrational and arbitrary treatment — Kiman v. New Hampshire Department of Corrections (2002)
- holding that a “class of one” may have an actionable equal protection claim, whether facial or as applied in nature — Britell v. United States (2002)
- holding that Equal Protection Clause is violated when government treats individual differently from others similarly situated without any rational basis — Brown v. City of Milwaukee (2003)
Each line is a later court’s own words about this case, not a summary. Read the opinion before relying on it.
How the opinion begins
Per Curiam.
Respondent Grace Oleeh and her late husband Thaddeus asked petitioner Village of Willowbrook (Village) to connect their property to the municipal water supply. The Village at first conditioned the connection on the Olechs granting the Village a 33-foot easement. The Olechs objected, claiming that the Village only required a 15-foot easement from other property owners seeking access to the water supply. After a 3-month delay, the Village relented and agreed to provide water service with only a 15-foot easement.
Oleeh sued the Village, claiming that the Village’s demand of an additional 18-foot easement violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Oleeh asserted that the 33-foot easement demand was “irrational and wholly arbitrary”; that the Village’s demand was actually motivated by ill will resulting from the Olechs’ previous filing of an unrelated, successful lawsuit against the Village; and that the Village acted either with the intent to deprive Oleeh of her rights or in reckless disregard of her rights. App. 10, 12.
Cite this
Village of Willowbrook v. Olech, 528 U.S. 562 (2000)Read the full opinion
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