Plyler v. Doe

United States Supreme Court

457 U.S. 202 (1982)

Relevant factsFree

Texas amended its education laws to withhold state funds for educating children not legally admitted into the country and authorized school districts to refuse to enroll them. Doe and other affected children (plaintiffs) sued the state, alleging the law violated the Equal Protection Clause.

IssueFree

Whether states may deny free public education to children not legally admitted into the United States.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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