A Legal Advocacy Guide: Combatting Racial Discrimination and Censorship in K-12 Public Schools

This guide is meant to serve as a tool for understanding legal protections that can help students, families, and educators push back against racial discrimination and censorship in K-12 public schools.

It explains how Supreme Court precedent and federal laws—like Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution—protect students’ rights, even in the face of legislation aiming to limit discussions about race, history, and identity in schools. 

This guide also provides advocacy strategies and applied examples for advocates looking to challenge censorship and racial discrimination in K-12 public schools. Whether you are a student, parent, educator, or advocate, this resource will help you understand existing rights and tangible steps to take to protect those rights, when necessary.