1. Using the Courts to further the Cause
OBJECTIVE: To analyze how the decisions of the court played a role in the expansion of civil liberties.

2. Wisconsin v. Yoder 1972
Supreme Court ruled that Amish children could not be forced to go to school past the 8th Grade
Freedom of Religion superseded the states desire to educated all students

3. Turn and Talk
Roberto Alvarez v. Board of Trustees of Lemon Grove School District
As you watching the video, answer the following questions:
When was this case brought before the Supreme Court?
What issue was brought before the Supreme Court?
What connections can we make to information we learned in previous units?

4. INSTRUCTIONS 2. What is the main argument for petitioner?
We are going to look at 5 court cases.
Groups will be assigned 1 case
Read your assigned court case
Each will answer the following questions on back
1. What is case about?
2. What is the main
argument for petitioner?
3. What is the main
argument for responder?
4. What is the outcome
of the case?

5. Mendez v. Westminster 1946
This case challenged racial segregation in schools in California.
Students who did not speak English were placed in separate “Mexican schools”
Court ruled that segregation of Mexican and Mexican American students into separate “Mexican schools” was unconstitutional.

6. Delgado v. Bastrop ISD 1948
The public education system in Texas for Mexican Americans offered segregated campuses with poorer facilities and limited students to vocational training
LULAC and the G.I. Forum helped to challenge these segregation laws
Court ruled Texas has to end segregation of Mexican American students but did allow separate classrooms on the same campus.

7. Hernandez v. Texas: 1954
No person with a Spanish surname allowed to serve on a jury.
Hernandez was convicted and said he did not receive due process under 14th amendment
Texas argued that Mexican American were white, so he received fair trial.
Supreme court said there was a difference between white and Hispanic and you could not exclude from jury based on class.

8. White v. Regester 1964
Challenged redistricting in Texas, which kept Mexican Americans from being elected
Supreme Court ruled that at large elections were discriminatory and so unconstitutional
Created single-member districts
After the Supreme Court decision the number of African American and Hispanic American representatives doubled.

12. Edgewood ISD v. Kirby: 1984
Public school finance case – Schools not equal
Since funding was based on property tax – areas with lower property values received less tax dollars
Court ruled legislature would have to change the way it funded schools to make it more equal.
ROBIN HOOD – Money is taken from rich schools and given to poorer schools.

13. Other Landmark Civil Rights Cases
Cisneros v. Corpus Christi ISD
Recognized Hispanics as an identifiable minority group and so used the Brown decision to prohibit segregation in public schools for Mexican Americans
Hernandez v. Driscoll Consolidated ISD
Ended all pedagogical and de jure segregation in Texas Public Education
Plyler v. Doe
Allowed for children of illegal immigrants to receive a public education in grade K-12