14th Amendment For Education In Dallas
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Although he raised a variety of legal issues on appeal, the central argument was that separate school systems for Black students and white students were inherently unequal, and a violation of the "Equal Protection Clause" of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
While education may not be a "fundamental right" under the Constitution, the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment requires that when a state establishes a public school system (as in Texas), no child living in that state may be denied equal access to schooling.
The Court found the Texas statute in question to violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court first observed that although the Equal Protection Clause assures the equal treatment of all persons similarly situated, an individual's right to equal treatment is not unqualified.
While education may not be a "fundamental right" under the Constitution, the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment requires that when a state establishes a public school system (as in Texas), no child living in that state may be denied equal access to schooling.
The NAACP, however, stated its dissatisfaction with DISD officials for making it unnecessarily difficult for the black children to enter the white schools. Nevertheless, in September of 1967, DISD declared Dallas schools desegregated.
The 14th Amendment significantly transformed the legal status of formerly enslaved individuals by granting them U.S. citizenship and equal protection under the law. This was vital for Texans who had been denied basic rights prior to its ratification.
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Teachers are protected from discrimination based on race, gender, and age. Discrimination based on disability or national origin is also prohibited. The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects teachers at public schools.
