The 74 Million – Mareesa Nicosia
“The California State Education Department has settled a lawsuit alleging that it failed to intervene as students in six high schools in poor neighborhoods languished in so-called “fake” classes where they ran errands for teachers, socialized or were simply sent home instead of receiving instruction. The state Board of Education voted Thursday to settle the suit, filed in May 2014 on behalf of 22 students from low-income, mostly minority high schools in the Los Angeles Unified, Compton Unified and Oakland Unified school districts. “Generally, students started school at the same time, and the bell to end rang at approximately the same time,” Mark Rosenbaum, the lead counsel for the plaintiffs and director of Public Counsel Opportunity Under Law, told the Los Angeles Times. “What was happening behind closed doors was very different depending on ZIP code.” In addition to the law center, the complaint was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and a coalition of other civil rights attorneys and private law firms.”(more)