Urging AG to Investigate Saugus

Escalating the battle over exclusionary student admissions policies, Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) and Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC) formally requested that the Massachusetts Attorney General open an investigation into Saugus Public Schools’ policies.

LCR and MAC sent a letter to the Saugus School Committee, urging it to revise its Student Admissions Policy, which unlawfully excludes families who do not complete the Town of Saugus Census, and contains overly-stringent residency and proof-of-identity requirements that disproportionately impact immigrant and mixed-status families. However, the School Committee has failed to remedy its illegal policy, and its Chair has publicly stated that the policy will remain in place.

“With school starting in Saugus this week and the School Committee digging in its heels, it is imperative that the Attorney General intervene,” said Erika Richmond Walton, an attorney with Lawyers for Civil Rights. “No child in Massachusetts should be denied the right to an education based on exclusionary policies.” Attorney Walton noted that Norfolk schools recently backed off of a similar policy that sought to exclude migrant students staying at a temporary shelter.

“The Attorney General has issued powerful guidance to school districts, reminding them that they must welcome all schoolchildren, regardless of race, national origin, or immigration status,” said Julia Landau, Senior Project Director atMAC. “Opening an investigation into Saugus’ exclusionary policies is critical not only for protecting the rights of schoolchildren in Saugus, but also for sending a much-needed message to all school districts in Massachusetts: that exclusionary enrollment practices are illegal and will not be permitted to stand.”

The formal investigation request is available here: https://lawyersforcivilrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Saugus-Enrollment-Policy-AG-Letter-Final.pdf