Constitutional Law Keyed to Cohen
Palmore v. Sidoti
Facts
The Petitioner and the Respondent, Anthony Sidoti (Respondent), divorced and the Petitioner was awarded custody of their young daughter. The Respondent later filed a petition to modify custody arrangements after he learned the Petitioner was involved in a relationship with a black man whom she later married. The petitioned court determined that there was no basis to the allegations that the Petitioner had improperly cared for the child. However, the court awarded custody to the Respondent based on the lifestyle choices the Petitioner had made by having a black partner and the social stigmatization that the child would suffer because the Petitioner’s relationship with a black man. The Second District Court of Appeals affirmed the lower courts decision and the Supreme Court of the United States (Supreme Court) granted certiorari. The Supreme Court found that the lower court’s decision was based solely on race and therefore it was subject to the Equal Protection Clause of the Fou rteenth Amendment.
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