Seven Civil Rights Complaints Target Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

The Charlotte-Observer is reporting that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is facing seven civil rights complaints that involve a Nov. 9 vote to close schools, reassign students and change academic programs. Officials said that closings were based on low enrollment and/or academic problems, and said the prospect of severe budget cuts forced CMS to make changes. Four of the complaints allege that the projected savings are less than 1 percent of CMS's budget, and the schools targeted to close are in "a geographical region that includes a very high percentage of economically disadvantaged Hispanic and African-American children." Two other nearly identical complaints say that the Nov. 9 vote is just the latest example of CMS discrimination, which includes "systematically mislabeling and educationally tracking (poor and minority) students to inferior, less challenging courses" and "threatening and/or banning parents" who complain. We knew when they got rid of their voluntary diversity committee and formed an investment-study group that excluded parental involvement that something wasn't quite right.

Read more at the Charlotte Observer.