The City of Detroit is weighing in on a high-profile literacy lawsuit that accuses state officials of denying Detroit students access to literacy.
Eli Savit, an attorney representing the city, filed an amicus brief today in U.S. District Court in Detroit that argues access to literacy is a fundamental right. It asks Judge Stephen J. Murphy III to shoot down the state's request to dismiss the case.
"The city of Detroit (though it does not control Detroit's schools) is all too familiar with illiteracy's far-reaching effects. Widespread illiteracy has hampered the city's efforts to connect Detroiters with good-paying jobs; to fill vacancies on its police force; and to grow its tax base. ...
"Ultimately ... Detroit's renaissance will lag if its children are not afforded a fair opportunity to learn how to read and write," Savit wrote.
The filing also says the plaintiffs have offered "plausible and well-pleaded factual allegations," that, if true, show that they have been deprived of their constitutional rights.
The lawsuit was filed Sept. 13 on behalf of seven Detroit schoolchildren. It says that the State of Michigan has denied Detroit students access to literacy through decades of "disinvestment" and "deliberate indifference."
Detroit Public Schools, replaced last year by the Detroit Public Schools Community District, was under the control of state-appointed emergency managers from 2009 until the end of last month.
Attorneys for the students have referenced problems in the district such as broken-down buildings and a shortage of teachers and books.
Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney representing the children, said he is pleased the city is getting involved.
"The city's action underscores the importance of this case to the students and the entire community of Detroit," he said in an e-mailed statement.
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