Desegregation in Schools: Analyzing Pivotal Court Decisions
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Desegregation in Schools: Analyzing Pivotal Court Decisions
Court Case Analysis 1: COWAN v. BOLIVAR COUNTY BD. OF EDUC., 186 F. Supp. 3d 564 (N.D. Miss.
2016)
APA Citation: Cowan v. Bolivar County Bd. of Educ., 186 F. Supp. 3d 564 (N.D. Miss. 2016).
The Court that Rendered the Decision: United States District Court for the Northern District of
Mississippi.
Summary of the Details of the Case
In this case, Cowan v. Bolivar County Board of Education, the plaintiffs claimed that the Bolivar County
School District was continuing to operate racially segregated schools even after the desegregation
orders were given. They argued that the district's actions caused a racially disproportionate school
system, which is against the Fourteenth Amendment provision on equal protection. Throughout the
district's history, it had not sought and maintained conformity into racially balanced schools as required
by previous court orders. The plaintiffs pointed to the fact that there are still schools in the district that
can be characterized as racially identifiable, meaning that segregation persists. Several students need
equal opportunities to receive education with regard to race.
Finding of the Court
The Court ruled in favour of the plaintiffs, providing that the Bolivar County School District had failed in
its statutory duties to make sure that there remained vestiges of racial segregation. Although the district
relocated the AM, and the present and former federal compliance officers made efforts to integrate
based on prior court judgments and section 1552, the district had two high schools that enrolled a
predominantly Black student populace, while the other enrolled a predominantly White student
populace. Therefore, the Court said that the district had inadequately responded to the issue and failed
to implement policies that would erase segregation. Failure to implement desegregation directives was
considered a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause. Specifically, the Court
stressed the thorough and not just symbolic attempt to achieve and maintain racial integration in the
education settings. To correct this problem, the Court required a radical reorganizational change in the
district's high schools. More specifically, this plan called for the integration of two high schools, one of
which was racially overly represented. At the same time, the other had very few black students, into a
single high school. Some actions were voluntary actions aimed at attaining the desired racial
distribution, as well as the dextrose abolishment of segregated schooling despite former desegregation.
The outcome of the ruling reflected the Court's stance, which aimed at guaranteeing equality of all
learners, irrespective of the colour of their skin, in a desegregated school system.
Summary of Justification from the Court
The Court argued this decision by pointing out that racial gaps in the schools of the affected district
remain persistent. The Court observed that the racially identifiable schools are contrary to the spirit of
the mandates in the Brown v. Board of Education law since the district has not complied in full. The
Court underlined the need to develop a unitary school where the racial discrimination in school
placements was prohibited.
Implications for Public Education
The decision relating to Cowan v. Bolivar County Bd. of Educ. has potentate impacts for state, district,
and school education for public schools. It further stresses on the fact that there is still need for
operating judicial supervision for adherence to desegregation orders. This ruling essentially required
massive modifications to things going on in the school systems in the Bolivar County School District;
most notably, consolidation and redistricting for the purpose of integration. Other districts might have
seen this case as a wakeup call to their responsibilities in preventing Federal desegregation in their area
and the need to pursue integration in schools.
Court Case Analysis 2: PARENTS INV. IN COMM. SCH. v. Seattle School, 551 U.S. 701, 127 S. Ct. 2738,
168 L. Ed. 2d 508 (2007)
APA Citation: Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, 551 U.S. 701, 127
S. Ct. 2738, 168 L. Ed. 2d 508 (2007).
The Court that Rendered the Decision: United States Supreme Court.
Summary of the Details of the Case
In the case of Parents Involved in Community Schools (PICS) v. Seattle School District No. 1, the plaintiffs
challenged the use of race-based analysis employed by the Seattle School District in formulating the
student's assignment plan, particularly the use of the so-called racial tiebreaker with the aim of
maintaining racial balance of institutions offering high school education. This policy was meant to ensure
that there was no racial discrimination in admission of students, and hence ensure racial integration of
students in school, in line with the districts' provision of equality in the provision of education.
Nevertheless, according to PICS, the use of racial classifications was unlawful since the constitution was
a violation of the sections of the Fourteenth Amendment dealing with Equal Protection. They argued
that it is on such grounds that such policies not only maintained racial differences but also violated the
provisions on equality before the law.
Finding of the Court
In the case of Parents Involved in Community Schools , the Supreme Court decided that the Seattle
School District’s consideration of race in the assignment of students was unconstitutional. The Court
noted that since, due to the district’s plan, an applicant gets a preference for a job solely based on race
when other applicants are more qualified, this is not known as a ‘narrow tailoring’ of the plan for a
‘compelling governmental interest’ as was held under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment. The justices highlighted that though, diversity in education as a policy is acceptable, the
ways that the district was implementing serious discrepancies and did not pass the strict-scrutiny test
sufficient for the racial policies. This decision stressed the requirement of searching for other means
through which school districts can attain desegregation and diversity without the use of racial
classifications.
Summary of Justification from the Court
The per curiam, written by Chief Justice Roberts major on the principle of colour neutrality enshrined in
the Constitution of the United States of America and dismissed the idea that racial proportionality was
worthy to be the compelling state interest in the use of a racial definition. The Court stated that it is not
opposed to diversity in education, but the way used by Seattle School District was not appropriate to go
through strict scrutiny. Regarding the use of racial standards, the decision underlined that such
measures should be focused and incremental only and should not deviate from the achievement of the
intended goals.
Implications for Public Education
Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 deals with citizenship and has
significant consequences for public education. It hampers the school’s authority to incorporate race as a
tool in admitting students,Colour,portrait affects the diversity dissemination and equal distribution of
race. The courts and the governmental agencies have left the districts with no other options but to seek
race-neutral tools for integration and diversity in schools. This decision poses the responsibility to search
for efficient solutions to create racial and diverse schooling environments without despising the
Constitution's provisions for eradication of racism.
