Hunter v. Erickson

Akron's city council passed a fair-housing ordinance in 1964 barring discrimination in property sales and rentals based on race, national origin, or religion, but before it took effect, voters approved a charter amendment requiring any such antidiscrimination housing ordinance to be separately approved by a citywide vote — unlike ordinary property ordinances, which needed only city council passage. Nellie Hunter, a Black citizen (plaintiff), sued to compel enforcement of the original 1964 ordinance; Ohio's courts ruled the charter amendment validly nullified the ordinance and didn't violate equal protection.