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Brown v. Board of Education
Amanda Rhodes
Liberty University
GOV 215-D01: Logic and Legal Reasoning
Professor Priscila Nogueira da Silva, J.D.
August 1, 2022
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SOCRATIC ETHOD EADING HECKLIST M R C
Socratic Method
Questions Student Response
What did the plaintiff ask
for at trial and on what
grounds?
The plaintiff(s) in Brown v. Board of Education requested that
admitted into public schools without the basis of discrimination
should be allowed. Based on the segregation laws, the grounds for
this suit was deprevation of Fourteenth Amendment rights.
What position did the
defendant take?
The defendant took the position that there was no discrimination
and they solely made it “separate but equal” when it came to the
student’s education
How did the trial judge
decide the case?
The trial judge ruled that the segregation was a violation of the
plaintiff(s) Fourteenth Amendment rights and was
unconstitutional.
Who took the appeal and
on what grounds?
The appeal was taken by the NAACP, specifically Thurgood
Marshall. This appeal was taken based on the decision to deny the
plaintiff(s) of its Fourteenth Amendment rights.
What is the question or
issue in the case?
Whether or not segregation in school, based on race, was
damaging.
What are the relevant
facts?
Plessy v. Ferguson announced the “separate but equal” doctrine.
There were five prior cases in which the plaintiff was sued based
on denial for admittance to a white only public school. The court
ruled against the plaintiff(s) in all cases. It is one’s constitutional
right by way of the Fourteenth Amendment to receive equal
treatment no matter your skin color.
What is the court’s
decision?
The decision was that segregation in public schools was a
violation of one’s Fourteenth Amendment right. It was further
ruled that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional.
What are the stated
grounds for the decision?
The ruling and doctrine, “separate but equal”, announced in
Plessy v. Ferguson did not apply to segregation in public schools.
Further, while black and white public schools may be equal in
areas, segregation had damaging effects on African American
students.
What is the rule of law of
the case?
In the public education system, “separate but equal” did not have
a place. Further, segregation in public schools is unconstitutional
and violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.
Do you think that the
decision is reasonable?
Why or why not?
Yes, I believe the decision to desegregate schools was a
reasonable decision. This decision was based on what our
Founding Fathers found our country upon, “that all men are
created equal”. We should all be given equal rights and
opportunities no matter race or gender.
Could the decision have
been different if the
lawyer had emphasized
different facts or relied on
The decision may have been different if the lawyer would have
focused on human-centered standpoint, rather than the violation.
There were four collosal cases used to make their argument
stronger, such as Plessy v. Ferguson. Yet the court still ruled in
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different precepts or
cases? favor of the plaintiff..
References
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/347/483/USSC_PRO_347_483_1
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National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.). Declaration of Independence: A
Transcription. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved from
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration- transcript?
_ga=2.199026982.848748958.1659389011-974953791.1659389011
