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Plessy v. Ferguson
This case required that states uphold the "separate but equal" doctrine in public places. The reality, however, was that these public spaces were not equal, especially in the case of schools. Though this was overturned in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, it is still more or less true in some places in our country. I spent time in Louisiana, where poor black students go to public schools and middle to upper class white students go to private schools. It is like legal segregation. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and required that schools and other public spaces be integrated. It also stated that seperate educational facilities are "inherrently unequal" and every attempt should be made to equalize them. This rulling led the way for integration in schools which we still see today. -
Cooper v. Aaron
This case brought about the rulling that states must follow Supreme court rullings even if they don't agree with them, which was the case in Little Rock, AR after mandatory desegregation led to voilence and deaths of 9 people. This is significant because the Supreme court descision needed to be followed to bring about change througout the coutry. It is unfortunate that people are still racist to this day and that effects educational quality for all. -
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District
This case concluded that students have a right to express themselves, to a point after three students were suspended for wearing black armbands to protest against the Vietnam War. The students were suspended but did not cause disorder. This paved the way for determining at what point students' freedom of speech is punishible - when it creates a significant disruption in the learning environment. -
Ingraham v. Wright
This case determined that corporeal punishment is legal if the local laws allow it. Currently, 28 states allow it, though I believe the student's parent must grant permission in some states. In my opinion, with the exception of extreme cases, student discipline should be handled using words and educational punishment rather than physical harm. -
New Jersey v. T.L.O.
This case ruled that students can be searched if there is a reasonable cause to do so, but it cannot be done arbitrarily. This is significant because it prevents administrators from racial profiling or unjustly scaring a student into allowing a search. This gets tricky in the case of random drug dogs that are sent to a specific classroom though it is meant to appear arbitrary. -
Vernonia School District v. Acton
The bottom line of this case is that schools can require drug testing for student athletes. And, more recently, Board of Education v. Earls, 2002, ruled that drug testing can occur for any extracurricular activity that is school sponsored. This is important because students need to know that the choices they make outside of school can affect them at school, and that as student-athletes, they should uphold a rigorous moral character. If not, they should face the consequenses of not participating. -
Santa Fe Independent School District v. Jane Doe
After Jane Doe led a religous prayer at a school sponsored event, a group of people sued, stating it was appropriate given an expectation of separation of church and state. The ruling stated that public schools cannot sponsor religious activity. This is interesting in Utah where students have a "religion release" to attend seminary classes in a building that sits just beyond the school property.
