In the 1920s, a Nebraska law made teaching German to children illegal. Soon after the law went into effect, Robert Meyer was arrested, charged and convicted. Rather than paying a fine, he fought. Meyer’s defiance rippled through the United States legal system for years to come. He challenged the ruling, taking it all the way to the United States Supreme Court. This decision sparked conversation about which liberties in America should be guaranteed, and Meyer v. Nebraska has been cited in some of the most consequential court decisions of the past 50 years. Nebraska Public Media’s Bill Kelly dives into the research to explain how the actions of a school teacher in a small Nebraska town over 100 years ago are echoing through society, Once Again.
We'd love to hear your feedback on the podcast! Please answer a few questions in this short survey: NebraskaPublicMedia.org/podsurvey
© 2025 Nebraska Public Media Foundation. All rights reserved.
Discover images and additional information about the series at https://NebraskaPublicMedia.org/onceagain.