▁had ▁viol ated ▁the ▁Constitution . ▁Although ▁the ▁black ▁health ▁facilities ▁were ▁separate ▁from ▁white ▁hosp it als ▁they ▁most ▁definitely ▁were ▁not ▁equal . ▁ ▁After ▁their ▁loss , ▁the ▁hosp it als ▁file d ▁a ▁pet ition ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁Att orney ▁General ▁Robert ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁file d ▁a ▁brief ▁for ▁Sim kins ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁pla int iffs , ▁but ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁denied ▁the ▁case . ▁According ▁to ▁Kar en ▁Kru se ▁Thomas , ▁the ▁Sim kins ▁v . ▁C one ▁( 1 9 6 3 ) ▁" dec ision ▁marked ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁that ▁federal ▁courts ▁applied ▁the ▁Equ al ▁Prote ction ▁clause ▁of ▁the ▁Four teenth ▁Am end ment ▁to ▁prohib it ▁ra cial ▁disc rim ination ▁by ▁a ▁private ▁entity " ▁( En cyc lopedia ▁of ▁N . C ., ▁p .   1 0 3 8 ). ▁The ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁Sim kins ▁decision , ▁Congress ▁passed ▁the ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁officially ▁prohib iting ▁private ▁disc rim ination ▁in ▁public ▁places . ▁Her ald ed ▁by ▁many ▁as ▁a ▁land mark ▁case , ▁Sim kins ▁became ▁the ▁Brown ▁v ▁Board ▁of ▁Education ▁decision ▁for ▁hosp it als . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁there ▁were ▁over ▁ 2 6 0 ▁references ▁to ▁Sim kins ▁in ▁other ▁legal ▁dec isions , ▁more ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁case ▁involving ▁hospital ▁ra cial ▁disc rim ination .