What legal principle was established by the case Brown v. Board of Education?

The case Brown v. Board of Education, decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954, established the legal principle that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This landmark decision overturned the previous precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson, which upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine.

The Court found that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, and consequently, racial segregation in public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This ruling was a significant milestone in the civil rights movement, as it set the stage for further desegregation efforts across the United States and emphasized the importance of educational equity regardless of race.

The other choices do not reflect the central issue at stake in Brown v. Board of Education. Mandatory testing for students is a separate educational policy matter and does not relate to the constitutional questions of segregation. The right to free speech in educational settings pertains to First Amendment rights, a different legal issue. The ability of states to decide on local school funding involves state rights and administrative governance, rather than constitutional issues of segregation in education. Thus, the correct answer underscores the pivotal impact of Brown v. Board of Education on civil rights and the legal framework regarding education