[1] In 1974, the Jefferson County, Alabama Personnel Board signed a consent decree that required them to hire and promote African-American firefighters.

Wilks, a white fireman, took issue with the agreement, claiming that he and other white firefighters (who were not parties to the original consent decrees signed in 1974) were more qualified than some of the black firefighters receiving promotions.

The Supreme Court of the United States upheld the appeal of the white firefighters in a 5–4 decision on the issue of whether the white firefighters have a constitutional right to challenge the previously established decrees.

Since the white firefighters did not have valid notice of the original proceeding, they should have their appeal sustained and the decrees overturned.

The dissent reasoned that the white firefighters should have had only limited means to appeal given that they were challenging the validity of the consent decrees but were not original parties to the consent decrees and that the majority overstepped the authority of the court.