Bluford vs. Canada, Civil Action No. 42: Reply Brief of Defendant on Motion to Dismiss
Reply brief of defendant on motion to dismiss in Civil Action No. 42: Lucile Bluford v. S.W. Canada. The document responds to a memo by Bluford's attorneys, which in turn responds to Canada's attorneys brief requesting dismissal of the case. Canada's attorneys reject Bluford's assertion that Canada, as registrar, is a "ministerial officer" of the university, and insist he is a "mere subordinate employee." The defense team also argues that Bluford and her attorneys misunderstand the requirements of the decision in Gaines v. Canada, which required Lincoln University to establish equivalent programs to those at the University of Missouri, based on applicant demand. They also assert the necessity of giving Lincoln "reasonable time" to establish such a program. At the time, Bluford was the managing editor of the Kansas City Call and her effort to gain admittance to the masters degree program at MU's School of Journalism, and repeated denials due to her race, lead to a a series of lawsuits that eventually reached the Missouri Supreme Court.