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The Boston Public Schools and Superintendent Tommy Chang, still reeling from proposed school start and end times that caused a public outcry, could face lawsuits in the coming year if the demands of those in the minority communities aren’t addressed, the head of a civil rights organization said.
“One thing that is coming down the pike is the possibility of litigation,” said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, the executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice. “That could be possible if BPS does not meet community demands and doesn’t develop policies and protocols surrounding issues of racial equity, access to education for immigrant students and community involvement.”
Chang last week announced a delay of proposed school start time changes that were announced earlier this month. The new start times at 105 of the city’s 125 schools were geared toward getting high schoolers to class after 8 a.m.
But the shift resulted in more than three dozen elementary and K-8 schools starting at 7:30 a.m. or earlier, and a dismissal time at about 1:15 p.m. — an hour parents decried as too early, leaving them with few options for after-school care.
Espinoza-Madrigal said the outcry was to be expected after BPS failed to engage the community on the issue.
“We received dozens of phone calls from parents and students who were concerned about the bell schedules,” Espinoza-Madrigal said. “They asked us to find a legal remedy for them. They asked us to go to court if Superintendent Chang did not change the schedule implementation.”
He added that he believes BPS leadership has been tone deaf to race issues that have crept up numerous times during the past few years — most notably at Boston Latin School. In 2016, federal prosecutors announced that BLS officials violated the Civil Rights Act and systematically treated student allegations of racial harassment with “insufficient seriousness.”
Espinoza-Madrigal said that if BPS leadership doesn’t start addressing issues facing minorities, immigrants and community members who want more input, there could be “legal liability for Boston Public Schools and the city of Boston.”
“All options are on the table,” he said. “We don’t threaten litigation. That’s not what we do, but there is significant community interest in holding BPS responsible in court. We have received many requests for legal support from parents and students.”