Which court decision is associated with desegregation rights for Latino students in the western United States?

• A. Brown v. Board of Education
• B. Mendez v. Westminster
• C. Keyes v. School District No. 1, Denver, Colorado
• D. Plessy v. Ferguson

Answer: (C)

Desegregation rights in the West were reinforced by applying Brown v. Board’s ruling to Western districts. The decision in Keyes v. School District No. 1, Denver, Colorado, held that segregation in a Western public school system violated the Equal Protection Clause and required steps toward desegregation. This extended the federal push for integrated schools to the western United States, addressing the needs of students in that region, including Latino students who faced separate schooling. While Mendez v. Westminster is a crucial Latino-desegregation case in California, Keyes is the Western extension of Brown that emphasizes desegregation across the Western states. Plessy v. Ferguson supported segregation, and Brown v. Board is the broader foundation, but Keyes specifically ties desegregation rights to the Western context.