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Public Education in the U.S.
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Plessy v Ferguson
In 1892, Homer Plessy sat in a white only section of a train, when asked if he was colored, he replied he was and was instructed to move to the colored only section, which he refused to do. He was then arrested and put on trial. His lawyer A. W. Tourgee, a civil rights activist, fought his case and lost. The court ruled that “separate but equal” laws were not unconstitutional, thereby allowing segregation to continue if facilities and institutions were equal for black and white people. -
Brown v Board of Education
In 1951 Linda Brown was denied enrollment in an all-white school. Her father added his case to ongoing challenges of segregation laws in public schools. Thurgood Marshall was the attorney who argued that schools were not equal for black students, and segregation of schools had a negative impact psychologically and socially on all students. Court ruled in favor of Brown and others, saying segregation violates the 14th amendment. -
Cooper v Aaron
Cooper v Aaron - In 1958 in Arkansas, the National Guard prevented black students from enrolling in public schools even though segregation is no longer allowed by law. In 1958 Little Rock school board petitioned to postpone integrating their schools and small courts ruled in their favor. NAACP appealed and this case was taken to the Supreme Court, which ruled that Arkansas must allow integration in their schools without delay and that state legislations/laws were not above federal laws. -
Title IX
In June 1972, among other amendments, Title X was added to the Education Acts of 1965. Title IX prohibits gender discrimination in any school/program that receives federal funding and provides protections to students who are discriminated against because of their gender. -
Mills v Board of Education
Disabled children in the District of Columbia were denied public education because accommodations to their disabilities were costly. These students, under 'Mills', took this to court and were successful in fighting their case. The ruling guarantees that children with disabilities have a right to public education no matter what the cost is for accommodations and resources needed while attending public school. -
Education of all Handicapped Children Act 1975
In 1975 Congress passed the Education for all Handicapped Children Act, later known as IDEA. Under this Act all students with disabilities have a right to a free, appropriate public education. This requires that all public schools, federally funded, provide educational services to students with disabilities at no cost. -
Plyler v Doe
Plyler, super intendent, denied funding for education of undocumented immigrant children. The Supreme court ruled that states can’t deny students a free public education due to their immigration status.