Which case ruled that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional?

• A. The ruling that segregation in public schools is constitutional.
• B. The ruling that segregation in public universities is unconstitutional.
• C. The ruling that only higher education segregation is unconstitutional.
• D. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ruled that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

Answer: (D)

The main idea being tested is how a decisive Supreme Court ruling changed the legality of racial segregation in public education. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) holds that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional because it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. It explicitly rejected the notion of “separate but equal” facilities in education, stating that separate schooling is inherently unequal and thus unlawful. This decision targeted public elementary and secondary schools, setting a national standard that desegregation was required.

Why this is the best answer: it directly identifies the case that addressed public schools and declared segregation unconstitutional, capturing the exact scope and outcome described in the question.

Why the other statements don’t fit: one asserts constitutionality, which contradicts the ruling; another focuses on universities instead of public schools; and the claim that only higher education is unconstitutional does not match the decision, which addressed public K–12 education.