History Day Blueprint

Legal Cases Impacting Education

See the separate page on Sheff v. O'Neill.

USCourts.gov Website list these cases as examples of landmark cases:

• Brown v. Board of Education (1954) - Holding: Separate schools are not equal.
  • Cooper v. Aaron (1958) - Holding: States cannot nullify decisions of the federal courts.
• Engel v. Vitale (1962) - Holding: School initiated-prayer in the public school system violates the First Amendment.
• Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) - Holding: Students do not leave their rights at the schoolhouse door.
• Goss v. Lopez (1975) - Holding: Students are entitled to certain due process rights.
• New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985) - Holding: Students have a reduced expectation of privacy in school.
• Bethel School District #43 v. Fraser (1987) - Holding: Students do not have a First Amendment right to make obscene speeches in school.
• Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988) - Holding: Administrators may edit the content of school newspapers.
• Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000) - Holding: Students may not use a school's loudspeaker system to offer student-led, student-initiated prayer.
• Board of Education of Independent School District #92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls (2002) - Holding: Random drug tests of students involved in extracurricular activities do not violate the Fourth Amendment.
• Zelma v. Simmons-Harris (2002) - Holding: Certain school voucher programs are constitutional.
• Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) - Holding: Colleges and universities have a legitimate interest in promoting diversity

Brown v. Board of Education

Several cases were consolidated for trial. You may need to research the other cases for records & briefs and other primary sources.

These are only a few resources selected for a previous year's competition. Our Law Desk may be of assistance for more of our resources.

Databases

Subscription databases require a card specifically from the Connecticut State Library. Some databases must be used on site.

Other Institutions

Please be advised that some of these resources--particularly those created in previous eras--contain descriptions for ancestral, racial, ethnic, and gender identity that may be offensive or harmful to individuals investigating these records, and are considered inappropriate to use in modern times. The descriptions and treatment of historically marginalized groups, women, and animals may be upsetting. Also, please note that inclusion in this subject guide does not necessarily constitute endorsement of the views therein--we encourage investigators to use their own judgment when evaluating books, websites, articles, documents, and other resources.