Court Cases That Impacts the Opportunity in Education - Research Paper Example

Discrimination cases have the foremost impact on education opportunities An example is Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 wherein parents protested against segregated facilities in public schools for black and white children. The case named after Oliver Brown and 12 others from Topeka Kansas was filed against the Board of Education on the basis of discrimination. The district court ruled in favor of the Board of Education citing precedents of 1896 court rulings stating that segregated schools are legal because “they are separate but equal”.

The case was elevated to the Supreme Court wherein through a unanimous decision, the ruling was reversed in favor of Brown stating “that enforced segregations is a basis of inequality and is a violation of the fourteenth amendments equality provision.” This case holds particular importance because the ruling started the elimination of racial prejudice particularly in the use of public facilities. It has created an impact not only on school children but on several others who have gained the right to interact with others, not on the basis of the color of skin.

The second case is the Plyler vs. DOE argued in 1982, wherein Plyler challenged DOE on the rights of illegal aliens who were denied education under the Texan Statute.