'Right to read' suit filed by ACLU | The Detroit News

Comparing conditions in Highland Park schools to segregation in the Deep South in the 1930s, the ACLU of Michigan filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday against the district and the state. The group alleges both failed to ensure students are reading at grade level, as mandated by state law and the U.S. Constitution. Three-quarters of students lack basic literacy skills to meet grade level, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Mark Rosenbaum, a University of Michigan Law School professor and ACLU cooperating attorney, called the situation “severe and heartbreaking.” “The Highland Park School District leaves every child behind in its separate and oh, so unequal schools,” Rosenbaum said during a press conference at the organization’s Woodward Avenue headquarters.

The lawsuit cites a “right to read” provision in Michigan law that says, in part, “A pupil who does not score satisfactorily on the 4th or 7th grade MEAP reading test shall be provided special assistance reasonably expected to enable the pupil to bring his or her reading skills to grade level within 12 months.”

Moss listed the lack of textbooks, disorganized student files and buildings in need of repair, among other issues facing the district. She said state law requires districts to provide remedial help to students who are not performing at grade level.