Judge Approves Merger of Teacher Tenure Lawsuits in New York
Two different lawsuits challenging teacher tenure in New York will now be consolidated into one.
A Staten Island judge, Philip Minardo, agreed on Thursday with the State Attorney General's request to combine the two cases because they are so similar, and because neither party objected.
The suits were filed over the summer by Mona Davids, of the New York City Parents Union, and by a group founded by former TV anchor Campbell Brown. Both claim the tenure system violates the state's constitution because it doesn't do enough to prevent ineffective teachers from working with children. Each suit is modeled after a similar case in California, and each includes several parents among the plaintiffs.
The consolidated suits will proceed in Staten Island, under the name Davids v. New York, because that's where the first suit was filed. Brown's group filed its suit in Albany.
But that doesn't mean things will proceed smoothly. Davids has accused Brown of "bullying" the law firm Gibson Dunn into reneging on its offer to represent her group. The firm, which represented the plaintiffs in California, denied Davids' claim. She is represented by a local lawyer.
"To Campbell Brown, we will not be bullied," Davids said. "You will not be allowed to reform your image, make yourself relevant for your next career on the backs of our children. We may be poor, we may be low income, we may be black or Hispanic, but these our children and we will be damned if you push us aside and speak for them."
Keoni Wright, a parent of twins and lead plaintiff in the case brought by Brown's group, the Partnership for Educational Justice, issued a statement calling Davids' accusations "disgusting and ludicrous."
Brown's own statement said that Gibson Dunn is a legal powerhouse and that she would welcome their involvement. "Our view has always been the more parents, lawyers, and families supporting this effort, the better.”
Meanwhile, the state is expected to ask the court to dismiss the case which could drag on for years.
The judge also approved a request by the city teachers union to be an Judge Approves Merger of Teacher Tenure Lawsuits in New York - WNYC: