George W. McLaurin applied for admission to the University of Oklahoma to pursue a Doctorate in Education. The school rejected him because he was Black. Oklahoma statutes made having an integrated school a misdemeanor. McLaurin claimed this was unconstitutional and deprived him of equal protection of the laws. A three-judge district court, citing Gaines v. Canada (1938) and Sipuel v. Board of Regents (1948), ruled that the state had to provide McLaurin with the education he sought as soon as it provided that education for applicants from other racial groups. It also held that the Oklahoma statutes that denied him admission were unconstitutional. After this decision, the Oklahoma legislature changed these statutes, permitting the admission of Black students to institutions of higher learning attended by white students. The change, however, allowed for segregated instruction. McLaurin was admitted to the University of Oklahoma Graduate School but was required to sit apart at a designated desk in the classroom, library, and cafeteria. He wanted to remove these conditions, but the court claimed they did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment. He took the case to the Supreme Court of the United States. Because McLaurin was being set apart from the other students in the ability to study, engage in discussions, and engage in general learning, the Supreme Court agreed these restrictions violated his rights and must be removed.