School Desegregation (pp. 634–657)
Rule: "Separate but equal" violates the EPC of the 14A. Segregation, even when it provides a truly equal opportunity, generates feelings of inferiority that can cause irreparable harm.
- See Brown v. Board of Education (1954) — the bedrock of strict scrutiny.
- Notably, the Court did not explicitly apply strict scrutiny in Brown—it's universally understood that strict scrutiny would apply under modern standards.
- Any modern constitutional stance or analysis that would implicitly invalidate Brown is wholly baseless.
- Effectively overruled Plessy v. Ferguson in the public-education context.