1.
Start with a basic description of the Sheff v. O’Neill lawsuit.
Who were the plaintiffs (all of them)? It was a carefully and strategically chosen group of people – describe what was important about the makeup of the group of families.
Some of the families lived in suburban towns, not in Hartford. Why did they join the lawsuit?
Describe the conditions that the plaintiffs hoped to address. This is to give evidence that either supports the plaintiffs’ effort or challenges the validity of the plaintiffs’ effort.
What did the Connecticut Supreme Court decide? You don’t have to describe the whole history of the case; a brief description of the final verdict is sufficient.
What law did the Connecticut General Assembly pass in order to meet the requirements of the verdict of Sheff v. O’Neill?
2.
Briefly describe the Brown v. Board of Education case and describe why it is related to the Sheff v. O’Neill case.
Note: Brown v. Board of Education was a federal case. Sheff v. O’Neill was a Connecticut case.
At the time of Brown v. Board of Education many states had legally mandated racial segregation in schools. At that time (1954) Connecticut did not have legally mandated racial segregation in schools. Therefore, Brown v. Board of Education may not have had a significant impact on Connecticut schools.
So what is the connection between these cases? They both address segregation. They were both supported by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. They both led to school desegregation, though the impact of Sheff v. O’Neill is much more limited. What is the Sheff v. O’Neill case about? More than 30 years after the groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education decision, and in a state that did not have legally mandated segregation in its schools, why was it necessary to file a lawsuit about school segregation?
3. Talk about the cases and the outcomes and importance for Hartford.