Opinion ID: 1433776
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Federal Suit

Text: In 1990 the Williamses asked the Borough Platting Board to vacate the public interest in most of the 200' easement across their lot. After Borough Deputy Director of Engineering George Strother opined that the easement's upper 100' could support a road, the Platting Board in June 1991 vacated the public interest in the lower 100', contingent on the Williamses providing equally constructed access within the remaining upper 100'. The Williamses built a road, Strother approved it, and the Board finalized the vacation. Upon concluding that the new road was sinking into a swamp, Dickerson, who is African-American, sued in federal court, alleging that the Williamses and Borough officials, who are white, had conspired to deny her the equal protection of the law. [3] The court granted the defendants summary judgment on Dickerson's federal claims for lack of evidence of a conspiracy, and dismissed her pendent state-law claims without prejudice; the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed, and the Supreme Court denied certiorari. [4]