“Kitchen Sink” Lawsuit Seeks Equity with Nonexistent Schools

Regarding just part of the 71-page federal lawsuit of Plaintiff Jim Ross, Joy Springer et al…

P. 3

“11. Furthermore, the high school which minor plaintiff Edward Doe presently attends and the middle school which he formerly attended are both unequal facilities to those attended by white students in the northwestern parts of the school district. The deficiencies and inequalities about which he complains that he has suffered and suffers as a black student in the LRSD are more specifically detailed in paragraph 59.”

The first sentence is true, but for the opposite reason. There are no middle or high schools in the northwestern part of the school district, therefore the “deficiencies and inequalities” are in the northwest, not in the plaintiff’s former and current schools.

P. 5

“18. Furthermore, the middle and high school that minor plaintiff Christian Doe is scheduled to attend are both unequal facilities to those attended by white students in the northwestern parts of the school district. The deficiencies and inequalities about which he complains that he has suffered and suffers as a black student in the LRSD are more specifically detailed in paragraph 59.”

Ditto. There are no middle or high schools in the northwestern parts of the school district.

P. 6

“25. Furthermore, the high school which minor plaintiff Edward Doe presently attends and the middle school which he formerly attended are both unequal facilities to those attended by white students in the northwestern parts of the school district. The deficiencies and inequalities about which he complains that he has suffered and suffers as a black student in the LRSD are more specifically detailed in paragraph 58.”

Ditto ditto. There are no middle or high schools in the northwestern parts of the school district.

Pp. 7-8

“31. Furthermore, the schools which James and Jade Doe presently attend are both unequal facilities to those attended by white students in the northwestern parts of the school district. The deficiencies and inequalities about which they complain that they have suffered and continue to suffer as black students in the LRSD are more specifically detailed in paragraphs 55 and 57.”

Ditto ditto ditto. There are no middle or high schools in the northwestern parts of the school district.

P. 9

“37. Furthermore, the middle school which minor plaintiff Johnny Doe attended is an unequal facility to those attended by white students in the northwestern and western parts of the school district. The deficiencies and inequalities about which he complains that he has suffered and suffers as a black student in the LRSD are more specifically detailed in paragraphs 47, 50 and 57.”

Ditto ditto ditto ditto. There is no middle school in the northwestern and/or western parts of the school district.

P. 10

“45. On May 15, 2015, the members of the State Board selected Defendant Baker Kurrus, a Caucasian person, to serve as acting Superintendent of the LRSD. Mr. Kurrus is sued in his official capacity.”

Months earlier but after State takeover, while Dexter Suggs was still LRSD superintendent, plaintiffs’ attorney John Walker, State Board of Education Chairman Sam Ledbetter, and Pulaski County Special School District Superintendent Dr. Jerry Guess failed in an attempt to replace Suggs, an African-American person, with Guess, a Caucasian person.

P. 69

“WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs respectfully pray that this Court after a hearing or hearings and identifying violations of Plaintiffs’ rights by Defendants, or another basis for relief, grant preliminary and permanent relief as follows:

“[a] a preliminary injunction preventing: [I] the opening of an LRSD middle school or high school in west Little Rock and [ii] the opening of a new charter school or the expansion of an existing charter school in west Little Rock, until the adoption and Court approval of a constitutionally adequate facility plan for the LRSD, or other terms specified by the Court;”

So, plaintiffs want middle and high school facilities equitable to those in the northwestern parts of the school district which do not exist. Following that logic, their action must seek closure of all LRSD middle and high schools.

And for good measure, they seek an injunction preventing opening any new middle or high schools – traditional or charter – in west Little Rock.

Why, you may ask. See the sixth and final relief sought.

P. 71

“[f] an award of plaintiffs’ counsel fees and plaintiffs’ litigation costs.”

Before the most recent Legislative Education Caucus, Attorney Walker claimed that his clients’ lawsuit had nothing to do with reversing State takeover of the Little Rock School District and/oe reinstatement of the board.

P. 69

“[b] a preliminary injunction voiding the State takeover of the LRSD and the ouster of the democratically elected LRSD Board of School Directors on the ground that the Arkansas Department of Education and the State Board of Education were without authority under their own Rules to act as they did on May1, 2014, July 10, 2014, and January 28, 2015 [takeover of the LRSD and ouster of LRSD Board of school directors];”

“[d] an injunction or other form of relief necessary to provide that upon the return of the ousted School Board members to office, their terms are extended by the number of days of their unlawful ousters;”

When corrected by a lawyer from the Attorney General’s office, all he offered was, “I stand corrected.”

When your attorney forgets two of your six relief points, they are obviously not his top priority.

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