Legal Cases - Education - History Day - LibGuides Home at Connecticut State Library.

Legal Cases - 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

Educational Resources (US Federal Courts)
Portal Federal Courts eductional resources that include activities, landmark U.S. Supreme Courts cases and more.
Landmark Cases In Special Education Law

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.

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

Brown v. Board of Education: A Resource Guide (LOC)
Library of Congress (LOC) research guide: "In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court legally ended racial segregation in public schools, overruling the “separate but equal” principle set forth in Plessy v. Ferguson. This guide provides access to digital materials, websites and print resources."
The Connecticut State Library may have some of the same resources.
History - Brown v. Board of Education Re-enactment
Federal Courts educational resource to reenact the court case. Links to additional resources. Includes information on court cases leading up to Brown v. Board of Education.