Which of the following is an example of a violation of equal protection laws?

Preferential treatment in housing applications constitutes a violation of equal protection laws because these laws are designed to ensure that individuals are treated equally under the law. Granting preferential treatment based on specific characteristics, such as race or ethnicity, undermines the principle of equal opportunity and can lead to discrimination against other groups.

This concept is rooted in the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which aims to prevent the government from creating laws or policies that favor one group over another unjustly. When preferential treatment is given in housing applications, it can create an unequal playing field, leading to unfair advantages and opportunities for certain individuals while disadvantaging others.

In contrast, mandatory mediation in disputes typically promotes amicable resolutions and does not discriminate based on personal characteristics. Restrictions on selling to nonminorities, while seeming discriminatory, may not be the most applicable example of a legislative or policy violation compared to preferential treatment. Disparities in property tax assessments could arise from various factors, such as geography and property valuation methods, and may not directly involve a violation of equal protection laws unless they have a discriminatory effect on certain demographics.