Can my class sue my school system?

Can my class sue my school system?
Yesterday, March 3rd, Wake County School System, in North Carolina, voted to district schools by area, which depends on socioeconomic status. As much as I hate it, my city is divided mostly into Black and White neighborhoods. In effect, the school system has just voted to segregate schools by race. For a class project in my Youth and Law class, we are considering suing the board. Can we legally do that?
Primary & Secondary Education - 5 Answers - 2010-03-03 06:50:56

Best Answer
Anybody who can find the county courthouse and come up with the filing fee can sue anybody. The issue is whether you will win. In school cases, there are numerous court precedents favoring de-segregation, but there are also many that support "neighborhood" schools. In your particular matter, you absolutely need to know whether there is a history of the issue in the courts! If so, take a look at any settlements and/or orders. Assuming no history in the courts, you need to look at WHY the district has apparently decided to go with neighborhood schools -- costs of transportation that will be saved, etc. Get a small group together to trace the history of the school cases, from Plessy v Ferguson to Brown v Board of Ed to more recent cases, both in the historic "north" and in the historic "south". Good luck!

All Answers
Answer 1
What are your damages?
2010-03-03 06:51:49

Answer 2
yes
2010-03-03 06:53:08

Answer 3
This is America. Anybody can sue anybody for anything. It's the American way. And, in this particular instance, it looks like the board is going backwards in time... I thought segregation was dead!
2010-03-03 06:59:24

Answer 4
Anybody who can find the county courthouse and come up with the filing fee can sue anybody. The issue is whether you will win. In school cases, there are numerous court precedents favoring de-segregation, but there are also many that support "neighborhood" schools. In your particular matter, you absolutely need to know whether there is a history of the issue in the courts! If so, take a look at any settlements and/or orders. Assuming no history in the courts, you need to look at WHY the district has apparently decided to go with neighborhood schools -- costs of transportation that will be saved, etc. Get a small group together to trace the history of the school cases, from Plessy v Ferguson to Brown v Board of Ed to more recent cases, both in the historic "north" and in the historic "south". Good luck!
2010-03-03 07:01:35

Answer 5
You can't sue unless you've received damages as a result of the segregation. To file a lawsuit would indicate that you're seeking compensation from the school board for losses that their actions caused to you. So unless you've actually suffered a loss, you can't file a lawsuit. You could try pressing charges though.
2010-03-03 07:02:27