Which statement best describes Reed v. Reed?

Which statement best describes Reed v. Reed?

• A. The equal protection clause does not apply to sex.
• B. Sex discrimination violates equal protection.
• C. The case allowed gender discrimination in public law.
• D. The state may draft men but not women.

Answer: (B)

Sex-based classifications are treated with greater scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause, and Reed v. Reed established that such discrimination violates equal protection. The Idaho law in question gave automatic preference to men over women in appointing estate administrators, and the Court found this gender-based distinction arbitrary and not substantially related to any important governmental objective. That ruling marked a key turning point, showing that laws cannot privilege one sex over the other without a very strong justification, and it laid groundwork for later gender-equality cases. So the statement that best describes Reed v. Reed is that sex discrimination violates equal protection.

Sex-based classifications are treated with greater scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause, and Reed v. Reed established that such discrimination violates equal protection. The Idaho law in question gave automatic preference to men over women in appointing estate administrators, and the Court found this gender-based distinction arbitrary and not substantially related to any important governmental objective. That ruling marked a key turning point, showing that laws cannot privilege one sex over the other without a very strong justification, and it laid groundwork for later gender-equality cases. So the statement that best describes Reed v. Reed is that sex discrimination violates equal protection.