<P> In 1978, Topeka attorneys Richard Jones, Joseph Johnson and Charles Scott, Jr. (son of the original Brown team member), with assistance from the American Civil Liberties Union, persuaded Linda Brown Smith--who now had her own children in Topeka schools--to be a plaintiff in reopening Brown . They were concerned that the Topeka Public Schools' policy of "open enrollment" had led to and would lead to further segregation . They also believed that with a choice of open enrollment, white parents would shift their children to "preferred" schools that would create both predominantly African American and predominantly European American schools within the district . The district court reopened the Brown case after a 25 - year hiatus, but denied the plaintiffs' request finding the schools "unitary". In 1989, a three - judge panel of the Tenth Circuit on 2--1 vote found that the vestiges of segregation remained with respect to student and staff assignment . In 1993, the Supreme Court denied the appellant School District's request for certiorari and returned the case to District Court Judge Richard Rodgers for implementation of the Tenth Circuit's mandate . </P> <P> After a 1994 plan was approved and a bond issue passed, additional elementary magnet schools were opened and district attendance plans redrawn, which resulted in the Topeka schools meeting court standards of racial balance by 1998 . Unified status was eventually granted to Topeka Unified School District No. 501 on July 27, 1999 . One of the new magnet schools is named after the Scott family attorneys for their role in the Brown case and civil rights . </P> <P> Linda Brown Thompson later recalled the experience of being refused enrollment: </P> <P>... we lived in an integrated neighborhood and I had all of these playmates of different nationalities . And so when I found out that day that I might be able to go to their school, I was just thrilled, you know . And I remember walking over to Sumner school with my dad that day and going up the steps of the school and the school looked so big to a smaller child . And I remember going inside and my dad spoke with someone and then he went into the inner office with the principal and they left me out...to sit outside with the secretary . And while he was in the inner office, I could hear voices and hear his voice raised, you know, as the conversation went on . And then he immediately came out of the office, took me by the hand and we walked home from the school . I just couldn't understand what was happening because I was so sure that I was going to go to school with Mona and Guinevere, Wanda, and all of my playmates . </P>

Who was involved in the brown v board of education