On December 15, 2015, two Connecticut African-American students filed this lawsuit in Connecticut Superior Court. On January 14, 2016, the case was removed to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. The plaintiffs sued the Bloomfield Board of Education, the Manchester Board of Education, the Hartford Board of Education, the State Board of Education, and the State Department of Education under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging violations of the Constitution of Connecticut, the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Specifically, the plaintiffs claimed that, after their expulsion from Connecticut public schools, they were given inadequate alternative education thus depriving them of their fundamental right to an education. One plaintiff alleged claims against the Manchester and Bloomfield Boards of Education. Both plaintiffs alleged claims against the Hartford Board of Education. The plaintiffs, represented by private counsel and the Center for Children’s Advocacy, asked the court for declaratory and injunctive relief to improve the insufficient education provided to expelled students. The plaintiffs also requested reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.

On August 11, 2016, Manchester Board of Education defendants settled with the second plaintiff. That settlement agreement is sealed.

On August 18, 2016, Bloomfield Board of Education defendants settled with the first plaintiff. The settlement agreement stipulated the Bloomfield BOE would provide $14,400 for education costs to be used until the 2019-2020 school year, will expunge the record of the plaintiff, will amend Board policies related to the expulsion of students, will define “individualized learning plan” to provided definition, will train administrators, teachers, and staff on changed policies and expelled students' rights, will provide plaintiff's counsel data about the District's progress in implementing this agreement, acknowledge all allegations and that the District violated plaintiff's education rights, and will pay $20,000 in attorney fees.

On December 22, 2016, Hartford Board of Education defendants settled with both plaintiffs. That settlement agreement is also sealed. This left only the plaintiffs’ claims against State defendants.

As of February 2, 2017, this case is ongoing against the State defendants.

Erica Christianson - 02/02/2017


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