How has the Supreme Court interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause?

The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1868 and guarantees all persons the right to “equal protection of the laws.” This clause of the amendment is known as the equal protection clause. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has had the job of interpreting the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and applying it to cases. The SCOTUS has generally held that laws may not intentionally discriminate against individuals on the basis of their race, nationality, or religion. Laws may also not treat individuals differently based on gender or disability unless doing so serves an important governmental interest. The SCOTUS has also held that state governments must treat individuals in public institutions equally, regardless of race or gender. This means that state universities and other public institutions cannot make decisions that are based on race or gender. The SCOTUS has also interpreted the equal protection clause to require that laws must be applied equally to individuals regardless of their race, religion, gender, or disability. This means that state governments may not pass laws that are intended to treat individuals unequally based on such characteristics. Finally, the SCOTUS has indicated that state governments may take action to ensure that individuals with certain characteristics are not discriminated against by private actors. This means that some states, such as Virginia, have passed laws that require private employers to follow certain principles of non-discrimination when it comes to hiring and other employment decisions.

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How has the Supreme Court interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause?

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