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The case came from an 1892 incident in which African American train passenger Homer Plessy refused to sit in a car for Black people. Rejecting Plessy’s argument that his constitutional rights were violated, the Supreme Court ruled that a law that “implies merely a legal distinction” between white people and Black people was not unconstitutional. After this incident, restrictive Jim Crow legislation and separate public accommodations based on race became commonplace. -
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a landmark 1954 Supreme Court case in which the justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. Brown v. Board of Education was one of the cornerstones of the civil rights movement, and helped establish the precedent that “separate-but-equal” education and other services were not, in fact, equal at all. Those individuals who were impacted were all children, white or black to be able to attend school. -
In 1960, the New York Times ran a full-page advertisement paid for by civil right activists. The ad openly criticized the police department in the city of Montgomery, Alabama for its treatment of civil rights protestors. Most of the descriptions in the ad were accurate, but some of the statements were false.The United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of the newspaper. The Court said the right to publish all statements is protected under the First Amendment. -
In Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962), the Supreme Court ruled that school-sponsored prayer in public schools violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment. The case involved a 22-word nondenominational prayer recommended to school districts by the New York Board of Regents.The practice was voluntary, and students could be excused without punishment upon written request from their parents. -
In Miranda v. Arizona (1966), the Supreme Court ruled that detained criminal suspects, prior to police questioning, must be informed of their constitutional right to an attorney and against self-incrimination.Thus, to protect these rights in the face of widespread ignorance of the law, the Court devised statements that the police are required to tell a defendant who is being detained and interrogated. These mandatory "Miranda Rights" begin with "the right to remain silent." -
Tinker v. Des Moines is a historic Supreme Court ruling from 1969 that cemented students’ rights to free speech in public schools. Represented by the ACLU, the students and their families embarked on a four-year court battle that culminated in the landmark Supreme Court decision. On February 24, 1969 the court ruled 7-2. Because wearing a black armband was not disruptive, the court held that the First Amendment protected the right of students to wear them. -
In June 1972, President Nixon signed Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 into law. Title IX is a comprehensive federal law that has removed many barriers that once prevented people, on the basis of sex, from participating in educational opportunities and careers of their choice. 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. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) of 1975 is a federal law. It requires public schools to provide appropriate educational services for all children with disabilities between ages 3 and 21. EAHCA has been strengthened and expanded over the years. It is now called the Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA). Those who need it gain, free and appropriate education. The needs vary for each child with a disability but include education and related services. -
In 1982, in the 5-4 Plyler v. Doe decision, the Supreme Court declared that all young people – regardless of documentation status – have a right to public education. Those who were affected were those who didn't have documentation. As a result, a group of children of Mexican origin were unable to attend school.The Supreme Court’s 5–4 decision on June 15, 1982, upheld prior rulings and found the policy in violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. -
Greg Johnson burned an American flag outside of the convention center where the 1984 Republican National Convention was being held in Dallas, Texas. Johnson burned the flag to protest the policies of President Ronald Reagan. He was arrested and charged with violating a Texas statute that prevented the desecration of a venerated object, including the American flag, if such action were likely to incite anger in others. After arrested and appealing the Supreme Court agreed to hear his case. -
T.L.O. was a 14-year-old female student at a New Jersey high school. A teacher found T.L.O. and another student smoking cigarettes in the girls’ restroom in the school building in violation of school rules. The Court did not reach this issue. The Court concluded that, under the circumstances of this case, the search of T.L.O.’s purse did not violate the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. However, the Court decided that the Fourth Amendment applies to school officials. -
At the age of 17, Simmons planned and committed a capital murder. After he had turned 18, he was sentenced to death. His direct appeal and subsequent petitions for state and federal post-conviction relief were rejected. On March 1, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that that the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments forbid the execution of offenders who were younger than age 18 when the crime occurred.