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What Happened in the Case
- Lebene Konan, a Black landlord in Euless, Texas, sued the United States Postal Service after claiming that local postal employees deliberately failed to deliver mail addressed to her and her tenants. She alleges the refusal was based on racial bias — in particular, because she’s Black and owned multiple rental properties.
- According to court filings, the dispute began when someone at the post office changed the mailbox key for one of her properties without her permission, and thereafter mail was marked “undeliverable” or returned to sender even after she proved ownership. Her tenants missed important mail including bills and medications, and some moved out as a result, she said.
What the Supreme Court Ruled
- On February 24, 2026, the Supreme Court held 5–4 that the Postal Service cannot be sued for failure to deliver mail, even if employees intentionally refused delivery. The majority said a longstanding federal law (the Postal Service’s immunity under the Federal Tort Claims Act) protects the USPS from lawsuits related to undelivered mail — including intentional nondelivery.
- The Court’s majority opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, interpreted the law broadly to cover deliberate refusal as well as accidental loss or delay. The dissenting justices argued that intentional misconduct — especially if motivated by bias — should not be protected by that immunity.
Key Point
This case isn’t about employment rights (like Groff v. DeJoy) but about whether people can sue the Postal Service when mail isn’t delivered — and it originated with allegations tied to racial discrimination against a Black landlord and her tenants.
