Jones v. Mayer (1968) is a landmark case involving which issue?

• A. Disability rights in housing
• B. Zoning disputes
• C. Racial discrimination in real estate transactions
• D. Gender discrimination in employment

Answer: (C)

Jones v. Mayer centers on racial discrimination in the sale of real estate and how federal law protects individuals from being denied property due to race. The Supreme Court held that the Civil Rights Act of 1866 prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of real estate by private individuals, not just by governments, and that people can sue to enforce this right. This case is a landmark because it established that private hands, not only state actors, can violate federal civil rights in property transactions, expanding the reach of federal protection beyond the actions of state governments. It clarifies that race-based refusals to sell are unlawful under the 1866 Act, a distinction from disability rights in housing, zoning disputes, or gender discrimination in employment, which involve different laws or contexts.