Education

Schools may not be segregated. In 1954, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that school segregation violated the constitutional rights of minority students. The holding applies to faculty and staff as well as the student body. States and school districts that refused to comply with Brown were ordered to implement integration by federal district courts. Forced integration, in the form of busing, is still in effect today in some places.

Brown does not apply to private educational institutions, which may admit or deny admission to students on the basis or race, ethnicity or religion. However, schools receiving any public funding or operating as part of a public agency must follow the law as set out in Brown.

Can a school refuse public funding to avoid the Brown holding?

Yes. No school is required to accept public funds.