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Plessy Homer was charged with defying the Separate Car act after sitting in a car that was intended for whites only. Plessy was only 1/8th African American but was still charged with violating the act. This defined the separate but equal agenda that southern states used to segregate themselves from people of color. Students of color got a worse education than white students. The buildings the students of color used were run down and overcrowded. Textbooks were ripped and torn.
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Having had enough of the unjust education system, people of color fight back to end racial segregation in schools. The supreme court ruled (9-0) that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Having won the case, students of color would be able to go to the same schools as white students. Students of color would no longer have to deal with inferior schooling. Instead of traveling miles to reach their school, they could go to the school closest to their home.
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Several southern leaders, including Alabama's governor and legislature, refused to follow the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education ruling. They claimed that states may overturn federal court rulings if they believed the federal courts were breaking the law. The Supreme Court rejected this claim, holding that only federal courts have the authority to determine whether the Constitution has been violated. The vote was unanimous.
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In the New York school system, each day began with a nondenominational prayer acknowledging reliance on God. This behavior was challenged in court as a violation of the First Amendment by a state-sanctioned religious establishment. The Supreme Court agreed, declaring that the government could not subsidize such religious activities. This case resulted in the landmark decision that established that it was unconstitutional for public schools to lead students in prayer.
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Students in the Des Moines School District in Iowa donned black armbands to school during the Vietnam War to indicate their unhappiness with US foreign policy. The district established a regulation barring the armbands, which students challenged as a violation of the First Amendment. The court agreed with the students and overturned the restriction. The influence of this decision on First Amendment jurisprudence addressing the boundaries between conduct and speech is noteworthy.
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Wisconsin required all children to attend public school until they reached the age of 16, but Jonas Yoder, an avowedly pious Amish father, refused to send his children past eighth grade. The Court concurred unanimously, stating that public school ideals were "sharply at odds with the fundamental style of life dictated by the Amish religion." The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it violated their First Amendment right to free exercise of religion.
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The Title IX act states that no one should be discriminated against based on sex. The act helped level the playing field for all students in federal financially assisted programs. Title IX helped diminish sex discrimination in sports and other programs. Although some schools still discriminate against genders, most schools provide equal opportunities for everyone to try something.
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The United States Supreme Court declared (9–0) that CA school districts receiving federal money must give non-English-speaking students English language training. This ensures that they receive an equal education. In 1969, it was declared illegal for Mexican Americans to speak Spanish in public schools. Textbooks failed to acknowledge the accomplishments of Mexican Americans. Today, Lau Vs Nichols left a great impact to make sure that every student regardless of ancestry gets a chance to learn.
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This was put into place after many parents felt that students with disabilities weren't getting the education that they needed. With the help of the IDEA act, programs that help those individuals get funded. Students get better at social relationships, using knowledge and skill, and taking action to meet necessities like feeding and self-care. Like no other law before, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act transformed the face of education for children with exceptional needs.
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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that all children, regardless of immigration status, have a constitutional right to free public education from kindergarten to 12th grade. This grew out of an attempt by a school district in Texas to oust the children of undocumented workers by imposing tuition of as much as $1,000 per student to attend what was for everyone else free public schools. The case helped guarantee certain rights through the application of the Equal Protection Clause.
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T.L.O. was accused of smoking in the restroom by a teacher. The principal examined her pocketbook after she disputed the charge and discovered cigarettes and drug paraphernalia. T.L.O. was declared a delinquent by a family court. Because kids have lower expectations of privacy at school, the Supreme Court found that her rights were not infringed. The Court unanimously held that students have a Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure while in school.
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Members of a Texas high school's student body nominated one of their peers to lead a prayer before football games. Three students filed a lawsuit claiming that the prayers were in violation of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. The Supreme Court determined that this behavior constituted school-sponsored prayer. This was an important case because it carefully honors the Establishment Clause's promise to ensure that government does not establish one religion over others.