Landmark Cases Addressing Racial and Disability Discrimination in Education
Introduction
There were many cases of injustice in education regarding discrimination in the past. Several federal civil rights laws that forbid discrimination in initiatives or events that receive Department of Education funding are enforced by the Office for Civil Rights. For instance, it was not always evident that African American and white students should have the same opportunities to attend schools and universities. Even though contemporary educational institutions pursue the norms of racial equality and provide opportunities for learners with special needs, there are still issues to solve regarding discrimination.
Anderson & United States v. Madison County School District (1999)
Facts
It is an example of an educational case related to racial discrimination. The group of African American plaintiffs argued that the district’s plan would not provide African American children with equitable learning opportunities. It would not substantially desegregate the district’s schools and would create additional problems for African American students and their transportation.
Issue
It is necessary to understand the school district’s transit statistics to grasp the practical side of inequality. The court revealed that white students were taken by bus no more than forty-five minutes to the same school, but African American students had to spend almost 2,5 hours on every trip. Nevertheless, the district planned to construct a novel high school in the place that would shorten white students’ commutes while keeping black students’ commutes the same.
Previous History
There were no precedents similar to this case before.
Holding
The district court approved the school system’s construction plan in May 1999 following a seven-day evidentiary trial. However, the decision also mandated that the school board address several issues we had raised. The district court directed that the school district take action to shorten the commute times for African American pupils to school, among other things.
Reasoning
The court decided to revise the construction order. The district court issued an order postponing construction of the new school, and the district planned to proceed with new construction until the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on the Section and the plaintiff class’s request.
Significance
The creation of the bi-racial advisory council is essential to control racial equality issues. It teaches that racial equality principles should be pursued in all their details, including transportation availability (Anderson & United States v. Madison County School District, 1999).
Ohio Civil Rights Commission v. Case Western Reserve University, 666 N.E.2d 1376 (Ohio Sup Ct. 1996)
Facts
Ohio Civil Rights Commission v. Case Western Reserve University is an example of a case related to educational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Following his denial of admission to the CWRU Medical School, a blind applicant filed a lawsuit under state disability law, which contained statutory language identical to that of Section 504 regulations.
Issue
The point is to learn whether there is an opportunity for the blind student to study in medical school. The central question is to what extent one accommodates someone before going beyond what is reasonable.
Previous History
No precedents.
Holding
What could constitute an “undue burden” is demonstrated by the facts. The ruling supports the idea that a university can require its graduates to be generalists or capable of performing a wide range of tasks, and that it is not required to provide accommodations that spare a student from parts of a curriculum they cannot complete. For instance, although not every graduate will need to dance to pursue their intended vocations, and although students with mobility limitations might not be able to fulfill the requirement, an art school may require all graduates to complete a dance course.
Reasoning
As stated in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, discrimination on the grounds of disability is also unacceptable. In determining that the student was not otherwise eligible, the Court majority mainly relied on an Association of American Medical Colleges technical requirement that applicants to medical schools must be able to follow. The majority ruling listed several duties the student could not perform independently, such as inserting an IV, viewing an X-ray up close, and making judgments. The fact that this blind student graduated from the Temple University Medical School was disregarded by most as unreliable (Ohio Civ. Rights Comm. v. Case W. Res. Univ., 1996).
Significance
Hartman’s Temple experience was significant, as it highlighted the need to modify the program’s instructional delivery. It teaches the community to offer personal assistance that surpasses the requirements of applicable legislation to avoid discrimination.
University v. Murray, 169 Md. 478. (1936)
Facts
University v. Murray, 169 Md. 478 (1936) was another case related to racial discrimination in the educational sphere. Thurgood Marshall, who was turned down for admission to the University of Maryland School of Law due to its racial acceptance policies, began to fight this practice in the Maryland legal system in 1933 after learning that the school was turning away black applicants only based on race. Marshall contended before a Baltimore City Court in 1935 that Donald Gaines Murray’s rejection from the University of Maryland School of Law was entirely motivated by his color and that he was equally qualified as applicants who were white.
Issue
The aim is to determine whether an African American student had the right to study at the University, despite it being reserved for white students.
Previous History
There were no precedents before this case.
Holding
After the University filed an appeal with the Maryland Court of Appeals, the Baltimore City Court granted their request. Murray also received a favorable decision from the Court of Appeals in 1936, which mandated that the law school admit him. Murray completed the course two years afterward.
Reasoning
He claimed that the University was breaking the “separate but equal” principle because the black law schools Murray might have been allowed to attend were not even close to the University’s academic standing (University v. Murray, 169 Md. 478, 1936). Furthermore, Marshall contended that allowing students like Murray to enroll in the University’s law school would be the only way to address the extreme differences between the “white” and “black” law schools.
Significance
The case is essential as it led to the elimination of restrictions for African American students to attend educational institutions for white students, and showed the unacceptability of racial segregation.
Conclusion
The laws regulate discrimination based on race and disability in education to ensure these standards are pursued in practice. Discrimination in education is not rare, but the law aims to minimize instances in which citizens’ rights are violated. Three briefs focus on discrimination based on disability and race, and these themes were not evident when they were first discussed. They convey that higher education should focus on inclusion and equality to avoid injustice.
References
Anderson & United States v. Madison County School District. (1999). Justice.gov.
Ohio Civ. Rights Comm. v. Case W. Res. Univ. (1996). Vlex.
University v. Murray, 169 Md. 478. (1936). Maryland.gov.
