Equal Protection Clause and Brown v. Board of Education

In the context of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, various landmark Supreme Court cases have shaped the legal understanding of equality in America. One such case, Brown v. Board of Education (1954), fundamentally addressed the issue of racial segregation in public schools. The ruling in this case determined that state-sponsored segregation was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause. Considering the implications of this ruling, which of the following statements best reflects a primary outcome of the Brown decision?