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Plessy v.Ferguson
The case of Plessy v.Ferguson was ruled on during the height of the reconstruction era, a point at which racism and segregation were being reaffirmed left and right. The case essentially ruled in favor of the concept of "separate but equal" in educational and public settings. Thus allowing for the creation of separate and typically less pleasant spaces for people of color. -
Brown Vs. the Board of Education
A 1954 Supreme Court case in which the idea of "separate but equal" was appealed by the NAACP. The group managed to show that schools were separate but not equal, with schools for "colored" children receiving less funding and fewer resources for their educational needs. This decision marked the beginning of desegregation in public and private schools. -
Title IX
"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." This was later amended to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This covers all bases from admissions, recruitment, financial aide, club membership and membership of athletic teams. -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Previously, there had been a law in PA that allowed for schools to deny the enrollment of students with cognitive disabilities, until this case was presented. This law was then found to violate the right to free education with disabilities. The courts were able to overturn the law, making it mandatory for schools to accept students with cognitive disabilities and provide them with accommodations appropriate to the child. -
Lau v. Nichols
Chinese-American students in San Francisco claimed they were not being provided equitable accommodations to ensure learning and understanding of the topics taught in school. They stated that English language classes were not provided proper English Language classes to help them better participate in their education. This case was huge, helping to smooth the way over for other ESL cases moving forward. -
Education of all Handicapped Children Act
The EAHCA was put in place by Congress in 1975, and stated that all schools funded with public money were required to provide equal access to children with mental and physical disabilities. This act stated that all public schools had to provide accommodations (and one free meal) to all special needs children, including assessing needs and creating IEP's for each child. This was a huge milestone in terms of how schools were made to deal with children in special education programs. -
Plyler V Doe
A suit was presented in challenge to a Texas Education Code that disallowed the use of state funds to educate children who had not entered the country through legal means. Texas argued for the code, stating it prevented public funds from being used on students who were undocumented and less likely to stay in Texas, while also dissuading more illegal immigrants from entering the state. The courts ruled stating that the state cannot withhold education from children of illegal immigrants. -
Sheff v. O’Neill
Hartford, Connecticut students argued that there was racial and ethnic discrimination in schools, with minority students being segregated from their white counterparts while also receiving worse and fewer resources. reviews showed that district lines separated urban and suburban students leading the Connecticut Supreme Court to call for action to remedy the injustice immediately.