For Immediate Release:
June 19, 2018
PEJ Statement on Deadline for Defendants to Answer Plaintiffs’ Complaint
New York, NY – Partnership for Educational Justice issued the following statement on yesterday’s ruling in the Wright v. New York case. The trial court ordered the defendants to answer the plaintiffs’ complaint by July 18, 2018.
“We are pleased that the trial court has ordered the defendants to finally answer the plaintiffs’ complaint. By setting a firm deadline, the court rejected efforts to completely stall the Wright v. NY litigation from moving forward. Now, the defendants will have to submit responses to each allegation in the plaintiffs’ complaint, which will move the case another step forward. The Wright parents will not be deterred by the defendants’ further delay tactics and desperate attempts to avoid litigating the issues on the merits, and we won’t stop fighting until there is educational justice for every child in New York,” said Alissa Bernstein, Executive Director of Partnership for Educational Justice.
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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Contact:
Maggie McKeon
315-730-5101