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Pyler v. Doe
Texas had a law denying benefits to schools to teach undocumented illegal children, and allowing these schools to deny admission to those students as well. The issue is whether the exclusion of the non documented illegal immigrant children from free public education violates equal protection. The Supreme Court was to decide if Texas can deny undocumented children the free public education that it provides to children who are citizens of the United States. -
Plessy v.Ferguson
Louisiana passed the Separate Car Act, which required separate railway cars for blacks and whites. In 1892, Homer Plessy, who was one eighth black, purchased a first-class railroad car ticket and sat where the whites were designated to sit. Plessy was arrested for violating the Separate Car Act and argued in court that the Act violated the 13th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution.The judge found that Louisiana could enforce this law as Plessy was convicted. -
Indian Citizenship Act
On June 2, 1924, Congress enacted the Indian Citizenship Act, which granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S. During that time, Native Americans obtained citizenship by marrying white men or received citizenship through military service. Even after the Indian Citizenship Act, some Native Americans weren't allowed to vote because the right to vote was governed by state law. Until 1957, some states still prohibited Native Americans from voting. -
Brown v. the Board of Education
The Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools based on their race was unconstitutional. It signaled the end of legalized racial segregation in the schools of the United States, overruling the "separate but equal" principle set forth in the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case. Brown v. Board of Education was one of the foundations of the civil rights movement. It helped establish the precedent that “separate-but-equal” education and other services were not, in fact, equal at all. -
Title IX
This was a federal civil rights law in the United States of America that was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972 which by law says "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." Title IX applies to all educational institutions, both public and private, that receive federal funds. -
Education of all Handicapped Children Act
This act was enacted by the United States Congress in 1975. This act required all public schools accepting federal funds to provide equal access to education and one free meal a day for children with physical and mental disabilities. EHA was revised and renamed as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1990 for improvement of special education and inclusive education. -
Bethel School District #43 v. Fraser
Matthew N. Fraser, a student at Bethel High School, was suspended for three days for delivering an offensive and provocative speech to the student body. In this speech, he nominated his fellow classmate for an elected school office. School officials argued that they had a duty to protect younger students from inappropriate and sexual speech. The Supreme Court held that his free speech rights were not violated. -
Board of Education of Independent School District #92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls
Two Tecumseh High School students and their parents brought suit, alleging that the policy violates the Fourth Amendment. The Supreme Court held that random drug tests of student athletes do not violate the Fourth Amendment's prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures. Some schools then began to require drug tests of all students in extracurricular activities. The Supreme Court in Earls upheld this practice.
