The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Pittsburg Unified School District on Monday for education discrimination in its special education classes. Outcomes for disabled students in Eastern Contra Costa’s Pittsburg school district are so poor, that the district is essentially denying the students their right to an education according to the lawsuit filed on Monday by the ACLU.
The ACLU claims that the district disproportionately placed Black and Latinx students into special education classes. The suit also alleges that the district’s special-ed classes do not have adequate services and are more likely to suspend or expel their students.
Pittsburg Superintendent Janet Schulze told EdSource that the lawsuit is 'disappointing.' She said that information given in the lawsuit is misleading and does not acknowledge the significant progress the district has made over the past several years to close achievement gaps.
It’s not the first time Pittsburg Unified has come under scrutiny for its special education practices. In 2016, a consultant hired by the district recommended dozens of improvements for how the district educates students with disabilities. The ACLU suit claims the district has not yet adopted many of those recommendations.
