Saugus Public Schools sued by civil rights groups over admissions policy records (Boston)
Below is an excerpt from an article published on September 19 by Boston about two civil rights groups suing the town of Saugus. The groups claim that the school district’s admissions policy discriminates against migrant families. Massachusetts Advocates for Children’s Diana Santiago is quoted.
Last month, two civil rights groups said that a Saugus Public Schools admissions policy violates the constitutional rights of migrant families using “overly-stringent residency and proof-of-identity requirements.” Now, those groups are suing the town in an effort to obtain public records about the policy.
The lawsuit was filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights and Massachusetts Advocates for Children in Essex Superior Court Wednesday against the town, the school district, and the Saugus School Committee.
The policy was approved by the Saugus School Committee just two days after Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency regarding the state’s overburdened shelter system last August. A surge in the number of migrants coming to Massachusetts filled the system and prompted Healey to implement a number of restrictions on how long people can stay within it.
Migrant families, including many Haitians fleeing the violence that has engulfed their Caribbean nation, are still heading to Massachusetts despite Healey’s declaration that the state is “full.” Earlier this week, families with young children returned to Logan Airport seeking shelter, despite rules prohibiting them from doing so.
Read more at Boston.com
