For Immediate Release:
August 21, 2018
PEJ Statement on Minnesota Supreme Court Order in Lawsuit Challenging Excessive Teacher Job Protections
St. Paul, MN – Partnership for Educational Justice issued the following statement on today’s order in the Forslund v. Minnesota case. The Minnesota State Supreme Court lifted the stay on the case and vacated the Court of Appeals’ dismissal and its prior determination that the lawsuit’s claims were not subject to judicial review. The order also directs the Court of Appeals to reconsider its prior ruling in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Cruz-Guzman v. Minnesota, a school desegregation lawsuit, where it determined that the educational adequacy claims raised were subject to judicial review. The court’s order can be found here.
“We are pleased that the Minnesota Supreme Court has asked the Court of Appeals to reconsider its ruling in light of the recent decision that recognized the importance of judicial review for educational justice claims. We look forward to the Forslund case moving to the next stage. Every child in Minnesota has a fundamental right to an adequate education, and these brave mothers are standing up and asking the State to deliver on that promise. PEJ is honored to be supporting this effort, and we will keep pushing until every child gets the education they deserve,” said Alissa Bernstein, Executive Director of Partnership for Educational Justice.
Forslund v. Minnesota was filed on April 14, 2016, by four mothers from across Minnesota. The lawsuit challenges the state’s teacher tenure, dismissal, and seniority-based layoff laws. The plaintiffs allege that these laws perpetuate disparities in education outcomes by preventing dismissal of chronically ineffective teachers. The plaintiffs filed their lawsuit following unsuccessful bi-partisan legislative efforts to reform teacher employment statutes. The Forslund v. Minnesota plaintiffs are represented by pro bono attorneys from the law firms Fishman Haygood and Bassford Remele.
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 – cell