Supreme Court takes USPS appeal over black woman’s bias claims
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving a Texas woman, Lebene Konan, who claims the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) refused to deliver her mail due to racial bias. Konan,a black real estate agent,alleges that postal workers intentionally withheld mail from her rental properties after changing her P.O. box lock, stating they disapproved of her being a black property owner. Even though her initial claims were dismissed by a federal judge, the U.S.Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit reversed that decision,allowing the lawsuit to move forward adn prompting the USPS to appeal.
The key legal question revolves around the Federal Tort Claims act (FTCA) of 1946,which permits lawsuits against the federal government but generally excludes claims related to “negligent transmission” of mail. The Trump governance has argued that ruling in favor of Konan could open the floodgates to numerous lawsuits against the USPS for lost or mishandled mail.
Oral arguments for the case, titled USPS v. Konan, are anticipated in the fall, with a decision expected in 2026. This case comes at a time when the Supreme Court is also considering other critical matters related to federal liability and immunity, including lawsuits for wrongful home raids by law enforcement.
Supreme Court takes USPS appeal over black woman’s bias claims
The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a case brought by a Texas woman who claims the U.S. Postal Service refused to deliver her mail due to her race, setting up a new test of when people can sue the federal government.
Lebene Konan, a black real estate agent and insurance broker in the Dallas area, alleges postal workers intentionally withheld mail to two of her rental properties after changing her P.O. box lock — asserting they did not “like the idea that a black person” owned them, according to her petition to the nine justices.
Her claims were dismissed by a federal judge in Texas, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit reversed that decision, allowing the case to proceed and prompting the USPS to appeal.
At issue is whether Konan’s claims are barred by a 1946 law known as the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows lawsuits against the federal government except for losses arising from the “negligent transmission” of mail.
The Trump administration asked the high court to throw out the case, warning it could expose USPS to a wave of litigation if allowed to proceed.
In a court filing, the government warned that siding with Konan could unleash a terrible precedent that could invite “any person whose mail is lost or delivered [to] bring a federal tort suit—and potentially proceed to burdensome discovery,” based solely on the plaintiff’s claims that the alleged offending party acted “intentionally.”
The case comes as the court is also preparing to hear oral arguments on April 29 about whether federal officers can be sued for wrongful home raids.
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In Martin v. United States, the justices will consider whether an Atlanta family can sue the FBI under the FTCA after agents mistakenly raided their home in 2017, traumatizing the residents. This case will test the scope of the FTCA’s “discretionary function” exception and could clarify the limits of federal immunity for law enforcement errors.
Arguments in USPS v. Konan are expected this fall, with a decision likely in 2026.
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