For Immediate Release:
June 4, 2018
NEW YORK PARENTS FIGHT DELAY TACTICS IN EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE CASE
New York, NY – The parent plaintiffs in the Wright v. New York case submitted opposition papers in court to counter the defendants’ continued delaying tactics. The defendants’ latest request to delay the case from proceeding to a resolution on the merits comes after the trial court twice ruled that the plaintiffs’ case should move forward, and a four-judge panel from the Second Department unanimously agreed that the case should proceed. The case has been pending for four years, with plaintiff victories at each stage.
“The defendants don’t want this case litigated on the merits because New York’s broken public education system can’t be defended. Every day that passes with the current outdated laws in place is a day that students across this state are being deprived of their constitutional right to a sound basic education. This latest filing is just the defendants’ latest delay tactic to avoid uncovering the truth about how these laws harm students,” said Alissa Bernstein, Executive Director of Partnership for Educational Justice.
On April 30, 2018, the defendants filed motions in the Second Department requesting permission to appeal previous rulings from the trial court and the Second Department that were favorable to the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs’ filing in opposition can be found here.
The Wright v. New York case was first filed in 2014, when nine families from across the state brought suit against the State of New York and others, claiming that teacher tenure, dismissal, and quality-blind layoff laws deprive New York children of their right to a sound basic education as guaranteed under the New York State Constitution.
About Partnership for Educational Justice (PEJ)
PEJ pursues educational equity through legal action to improve the quality of public schools. PEJ utilizes a variety of legal actions to achieve its mission, including pursuing impact litigation, amicus brief filings, Freedom of Information Act requests, and other law-related avenues that seek to achieve meaningful reforms of education laws or policies that fail to prioritize students’ rights. PEJ is an affiliate of the national education nonprofit 50CAN: 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now, which advocates at the local level for a high-quality education for all kids, regardless of their address.
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Peter Kauffmann
Kauffmann Public Affairs