The Southern Poverty Law Center maintains a strong interest in educational issues. SPLC attorneys have advocated for learning-disabled children in Georgia and Mississippi to ensure their needs are met, and on behalf of homeless children to ensure they receive educational benefits to which they are entitled.

In Penny Doe v. Richardson (1998) the Southern Poverty Law Center sued on behalf of a homeless African-American teenage girl denied admission to public school due to her homelessness. After SPLC filed a class action lawsuit on her behalf, local and state school boards agreed to admit Doe and rewrite their policies to ensure homeless children receive the same educational benefits as their non-homeless peers.

The Southern Poverty Law Center's work on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised continues. For a description of current cases, explore the Legal Agenda. For a more complete listing of cases, along with PDF documents and other materials, browse the Case Docket.