One day after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which had granted women constitutional abortion rights for more than 50 years, a Texas lawmaker is going viral online for equating it to another landmark case that was overturned linked to racial segregation.

Also read: List of all companies providing abortion travel benefits to US employees

Senator John Cornyn responded to former President Barack Obama’s tweet criticising the Roe v. Wade judgement. “Now do Plessy vs Ferguson/Brown vs Board of Education,” Cornyn tweeted.

That post rapidly went viral online, with many guessing that the Texas senator was requesting that the Supreme Court overturn the Board v. Board of Education decision, notably Texas Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro.

Brown v. Board of Education was a major 1954 Supreme Court decision that substantially overturned its 1896 ruling Plessy v. Ferguson, declaring that the “separate but equal” concept was unlawful for American public schools and educational facilities.

Also read: Contraception, gay marriage next on Supreme Court’s hit list?

When the Senator’s office was contacted by the WFAA publication about the post, a representative directed them to this follow-up tweet, which stated, “Thank goodness some SCOTUS precedents are overruled.”

Sen. Cornyn is claiming to compare how the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization verdict reversed the precedent set by Roe v. Wade. In his tweet, Obama emphasised how the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization verdict overturned 50 years of precedent. Reversing this precedent, Obama wrote in a tweet, “relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues—attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans.”

Also read: Roe v. Wade overturned: How Indian laws on abortion compare with the US

Sen. Cornyn issued the following statement after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision was issued on Friday:

“Today, the Court has restored one of the core principles of our Constitution with this landmark ruling. This decision correctly returns the authority of states to decide the limits on abortion and will save countless innocent lives. I commend the Justices for not bowing to the vicious intimidation campaign waged by the radical Left. I join Texans in celebrating this historic victory for life and the rule of law.”

Also read: How overturning Roe v Wade is a win for Justice Clarence Thomas

Cornyn’s post elicited sharp criticism for being racist. Cornyn retweeted followers who defended him and used the reversing precedent comparison.