A landmark battle over four years resulted Thursday in the state of Michigan agreeing to settle a lawsuit with Detroit students that aimed...
A landmark battle over four years resulted Thursday in the state of Michigan agreeing to settle a lawsuit with Detroit students that aimed to improve school facilities and learning conditions.
The settlement comes weeks after a federal appeals court issued a groundbreaking decision to recognize education and literacy as a constitutional right.
“This landmark court decision recognizes that every child in Michigan deserves an opportunity to obtain an education, which is essential to having a strong foundation in life and a brighter future,” the governor, Gretchen Whitmer, said in a press conference Thursday announcing the settlement.
In a joint statement with the governor, the plaintiffs said the settlement “will help secure the right of access to literacy for students in Detroit who faced obstacles they never should have faced”.
It was brought by seven Detroit students who, in 2016, argued they were deprived access to literacy because of a lack of books, teachers and poor building conditions.
The first alleged that the city’s public schools were in “slum-like conditions” and “functionally incapable of delivering access to literacy”. The suit was sent back to a federal judge in Detroit, after being rejected by the appeals court.
A US appeals court judge had previously dismissed the case in 2018, insisting the constitution doesn’t guarantee a fundamental right to literacy. But on 23 April, the appeals court said students at poor-performing, dilapidated Detroit schools are entitled to a basic minimum education.
Protesters had reportedly urged Whitmer and her Republican predecessor, Rick Snyder, to reach a settlement in the case. The decision could now lead to millions of dollars in new spending.
On 23 April, a federal appeals court panel ruled the constitution provides a remedy to “children relegated to a school system that does not provide even a plausible chance to attain literacy”.
Earlier this month, the Republican-led state legislature asked the full appeals court to set aside the ruling by the three-judge panel and hear the case due to its “exceptional importance’”.
The long-term impact of a substandard primary public education was among several legal arguments raised in the high-profile civil suit. At the time of the its filing, the plaintiffs were students at five low-performing schools in Detroit: three at public schools and two charter schools.
State board of education member Tiffany Tilley, an alumna of Detroit public schools, called the settlement “historical” and said expects the board to receive updates and details from the state attorney general’s office.
“This is going to affect education in every zip code across America,” she told the Associated Press. “Now, we need to make sure to find the funding to the change the structure of how we fund schools here in Michigan.”
Michigan can still expect a cut in education funding due to the coronavirus pandemic, which Tilley called concerning.
Legal experts debate whether this case will set a new precedent that could change the way states are required provide education to its youth. Currently, the US constitution does not explicitly guarantee the right to education.
Although some considered this case to be a possible avenue, so far, the supreme court has not weighed in.
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