Raleigh
NC 27627
Join us for a conversation with Attorneys Mark Dorosin and Elizabeth Haddix who have extensive knowledge and experience with the Leandro case for a discussion about the next steps are in this worthy fight for our children’s education. Mark Dorosin and Elizabeth Haddix, represent the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP in the ongoing Leandro litigation.
Webinar is open to the public but you must REGISTER HERE:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/654391246511675663
The Leandro lawsuit has been a critical case for public education since it was filed in 1994. Education advocates are calling for the NCGA to commit to upholding the ruling by Judge David Lee to implement and fund the critical needs identified by the WestEd report required to provide a sound basic education for all children.
Background: In 1994, parents, students and school districts in low-wealth, rural NC counties filed a lawsuit (Leandro v. State) alleging that students in these counties were denied their right to a sound basic education under the NC constitution. The NC Supreme Court agreed in 2002. The Leandro case affirmed that inequitable and inadequate school funding bars access to a sound, basic public education, particularly for students of color and those from families with low incomes. In January this year, Judge David Lee required a plan of action be filed to comply with the components of the WestEd report. The plan has been submitted but has not been funded. What is the next step for our public schools and all of the advocates who believe that every child has a constitutional right to a sound basic education?
Mark is one of the Managing Attorneys at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Regional Office. He led the UNC Center for Civil Rights until the UNC Board of Governors banned it from engaging in legal advocacy. While at UNC, Mark helped developed the Inclusion Project, which focused on the continuing impacts of racial segregation and exclusion in housing, environmental justice, political participation, and education.
Elizabeth is one of the Managing Attorneys with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Regional Office. Previously the Senior Staff Attorney at the UNC Center for Civil Rights where she expanded the focus of the Center’s community-based advocacy and led the Center’s innovative environmental justice program. Elizabeth grew up in Mississippi, earned her B.A. from Duke University, and taught public high school in Eastern North Carolina before earning a J.D. from the UNC School of Law in 1998.