State educators groups to sue Paterson over school aid today
A coalition of state teachers, superintendents, administrators and school boards is suing Governor David Paterson to stop him from withholding aid payments to school districts.
The lawsuit, which the state teachers union plans to file this afternoon, claims that the governor violated state law and the constitution yesterday when he unilaterally made 10 percent cuts to education aid payments that had been allocated by the state legislature.
Paterson said yesterday he is confident that his actions would be upheld in court and blamed legislators for blocking his deficit reduction plan that he said would have prevented some of the cuts.
The governor cut $146 million from education aid payments around the state. New York City’s payment was reduced by nearly $69 million.
Joining the state teachers union in the suit are the Ne