With all that’s happened in the past two days, particularly on Friday, I decided to go ahead and publish the media roundup for the past two days today. Mondays are traditionally low coverage days, but in the run up to early voting, there’s a pretty good chance that this will be an even greater version of wall-to-wall through election day. We’ll see.
The first volley in the lawsuit saga was launched Friday. SCS filed a Federal Lawsuit naming just about everyone under the sun as a defendant, and bringing eight charges.
The lawsuit reads like a grocery receipt from a hungry person that didn’t take a list. There are all kinds of allegations, including the notion that somehow MCS had the responsibility to draft a transition plan for SCS, which is interesting considering that this position seems to assume that SCS, the legal entity that would remain, shouldn’t have a say in how the transfer would be effectuated. Makes you wonder why they would do that to themselves.
Go read the whole thing. The charges start at item 38. I just read all of lines 1-37 and I couldn’t stop laughing. Seriously, the words irrational, hasty and irresponsible are both overused in the suit, and apply to its content.
The very state law that the suit quotes effectively renders several points irrelevant. Additionally, the counts themselves, many of which would have to be argued against each other, are such a stretch that this suit should be laughed out of court.
We’ll see what happens. I’ve said before that I’m no lawyer, and I’ll say it again. But just from a layman’s read of the suit, there appear to be enough legal gymnastics involved to effectively pretzel anyone trying to argue all of them.
In other news, I’ve been hearing from some people who, just a week ago or less, were in support of the surrender referendum that they are reconsidering their support based on the events of the past week. I’ll have a post up about this later, but in all honesty, it’s disheartening to hear these people’s arguments for a variety of reasons that I’ll get in to in that post.
More soon, have a good Sunday.
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February 11, 2011
Where’s Kriner Cash? Superintendent ‘on vacation’ during Memphis schools charter debate
Governor Haslam signs bill that delays Memphis-Shelby school consolidation
SCS Files Suit After Governor Signs Bill
Haslam Signs Schools Consolidation Bill
Haslam Signs SB25, the Norris-Todd Bill
Governor Haslam Signs School Merger Bill Into Law
Haslam In Memphis After Signing Schools Consolidation Bill
County Commission Set to Weigh in on Schools Issue
Memphis Dems Hit Haslam For Signing Merger Bill
Wharton Comes Out Fighting
Shelby County Schools file federal suit
Local Leaders Go Forward in School Fight
Memphis Mayor Wharton Disappointed in State School Bill Passage
County Files Lawsuit Over City School Merger
County Schools Lawsuit Seeks To Void MCS Charter Surrender
Prof. Wharton hints at Memphis’s legal option
Shelby County School Chairman David Pickler on School Lawsuit
Exclusive: Senator Norris on School Merger Bill
Defeated Shelby County Democratic Delegation Says It Will “Keep Fighting”
School Charter Showdown: Major Moves Friday
Shelby Co. School Board Files Federal Lawsuit to Stop Consolidation
SCS Chairman Announces Federal Suit to Nullify Actions of MCS Board, City Council
Shelby County Schools files suit over Memphis charter surrender
February 12, 2011
SB25: The View from Norris’ Head
Rally to Get People Out to Vote on MCS Charter Referendum
Group in Favor of School Consolidation Plans Lawsuit
Rallies Over School Merger Vote
Former Chattanooga board member speaks at anti-consolidation rally
Rapidly changing Memphis schools charter developments confound legal experts
Otis L. Sanford: Do-it-yourself school district more difficult than it appears