School

Lawsuits Sep 30, 2016

Justice Department and Pittsfield Charter Township Resolve Lawsuit Over Denial of Zoning Approval for Islamic School

The Justice Department today announced a settlement with Pittsfield Charter Township, Michigan, resolving allegations that the township violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) in denying zoning approval to allow the Michigan Islamic Academy (MIA) to build a school on a vacant parcel of land. The settlement, which must still be approved by the U.S. …

Class-Actions Sep 29, 2016

Voter Lawsuit on Target: Strike Deceptive Ballot Language

It may yet be that Gov. Nathan Deal and his supporters in the General Assembly won’t get away with the attempted deception of voters concerning the proposed constitutional amendment authorizing the state to take over public schools deemed to be failing. A group of voters has filed a class action lawsuit asserting the ballot language for Amendment 1 is “misleading, subjectively worded and …

News Sep 29, 2016

Christian School Files Lawsuit Over Prayer

A Christian school in Florida is suing the Florida High School Athletic Association claiming the group violated the school’s constitutional rights. Cambridge Christian School’s federal lawsuit says the FHSAA refused to allow the school to offer a prayer over the loudspeaker before the Division 2A state …

News Sep 23, 2016

Lawyers Meet to Discuss St. Paul’s Lawsuit

Lawyers for a Concord prep school and the family of a sexual assault victim met Wednesday to schedule the next steps in an ongoing lawsuit. According to court paperwork, the parents of the assault victim are seeking damages in excess of $75,000, claiming that St. Paul’s School was negligent. Wednesday’s hearing was held behind closed doors, and lawyers said the next step in the case is …

Lawsuits Sep 23, 2016

Connecticut’s School Funding Lawsuit Headed to State Supreme Court

After a Connecticut judge called his state’s school funding system “irrational” and “unconstitutional,” an eleven-year-old school funding lawsuit is now headed to the state supreme court for final adjudication. In 2005, a coalition made up of municipalities, parents and education advocacy groups and calling itself the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding filed a lawsuit …

News Sep 22, 2016

Coppell ISD Sued Over Lack of Asian-American Representation on School Board

Pankaj Jain believes the deck is stacked against him as an Asian-American living in Coppell ISD’s attendance zones. Jain, originally from India, has filed a lawsuit against the district, alleging that the way it elects its board members leaves Asian-Americans disenfranchised in a district in which they represent a majority of the population. “The Asian-American population in Coppell represents …

Legal News Sep 21, 2016

Court Throws Out California Teacher Evaluation Lawsuit

On Monday Northern California Judge Barry Goode denied the claims in the Doe v. Antioch Unified lawsuit – the second legal setback in recent months to education advocates who believe ineffective teacher have too many job protections. Lawyers who filed the suit on behalf of the parents of school children and California taxpayers claimed that the 13 districts, including seven in Southern …

News Sep 21, 2016

Ex-Students Call NYU’s Singapore Art School an ‘Educational Scam’

New York University’s Singapore arts school was an “educational scam” that saddled students with high tuition while providing low-quality coursework, a new lawsuit alleges. NYU’s Tisch Asia, which opened in 2007 and closed in 2015, promised students the same degrees and professional training available at the New York City campus, the Manhattan federal court suit says. Instead, Tisch Asia’s …

Lawsuits Sep 20, 2016

Small, Embattled School District Joins Texas Parents’ STAAR Lawsuit

A central Texas school district will be the first to join parents in a lawsuit over STAAR testing. The small, embattled Marlin ISD has a lot riding on testing. It’s been failing for years.

Lawsuits Sep 19, 2016

Valley Center Teacher Suing District, Citing Breach of Contract

A Valley Center teacher is suing the district, citing breach of contract after she was terminated without due process earlier this year. Janet Decker, who worked as a gifted-program coordinator at Valley Center High School and Valley Center Middle School for 16 years, was issued a notice in April that her contract would not be renewed for the current school year, according to a lawsuit filed …