Cruz-Guzman v. State
Held:
- Racial imbalances in Minneapolis and Saint Paul public schools, as compared to other schools in the same school district, are not sufficient, standing alone, to establish a violation of the Education Clause of the Minnesota Constitution, Minn. Const. art. XIII, § 1.
- To prevail on a claim alleging a violation of the Education Clause of the Minnesota Constitution based on racial imbalances in Minneapolis and Saint Paul public schools, appellants do not need to establish that state action caused the racial imbalances; they do need to establish, however, that the racial imbalances are a substantial factor in causing their children to receive an inadequate education.
Related Commentary
Students and Parents Bring State Constitutional Challenges to Racial Segregation in Schools
Seventy years after Brown v. Board of Education, state constitutions may be the best path to desegregation.