HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Tennessee Parents Stand Up for School Choice and Join Lawsuit to Defend ESA Program

Views:1077
@IJvids

Today, a group of parents partnered with the Institute for Justice (IJ) to defend the Tennessee Education Savings Account Pilot Program, an educational choice initiative, against a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality.



https://ij.org/press-release/tennessee-parents-stand-up-for-school-choice-and-join-lawsuit-to-defend-esa-program/



By formally intervening in the lawsuit, the parents will ensure that the thousands of Tennessee families benefiting from the program are represented as the lawsuit progresses through the courts. On February 6, the governments of Nashville and Shelby County, along with the Metropolitan Nashville Board of Public Education, challenged the ESA program.


“Tennessee’s ESA program is constitutional, and IJ stands ready to defend it in court so that Tennessee families can send their children to the school that best fits their child’s needs,” said Arif Panju, an IJ managing attorney. “The mayor’s lawsuit to block ESA accounts for K-12 students reveals his disregard for the rights of parents and children.” IJ is representing parents who plan to use ESAs to send their children to a school that best fits their child’s needs.

The program was signed into law in May 2019 by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, and qualifying families are able to receive funds for the 2020-2021 school year. The program offers a lifeline to families that would like to leave public schools that do not meet their children’s needs but who lack the financial resources to do so. Under the program, qualifying students will receive a scholarship up to $7,300 for a wide array of educational expenses, including tuition, textbooks and tutoring services. The program is available to lower- and middle-income families whose annual income is less than $66,950 for a family of four.

“I am defending the ESA program because it will help me provide a better education for my sons,” said Natu Bah, an IJ client who plans to send her children to Christian Brothers High School in Memphis using the ESA program. Another IJ client, Builguissa Diallo, plans to use the ESA funds to take her kindergartner out of public school because it doesn’t meet her needs and enroll her in Memphis’ Pleasant View School. If they are unable to obtain ESAs because of the lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s ESA program, they would be forced to keep their children in failing public schools or endure tremendous financial hardship in order to try to enroll them in private schools.

“The Nashville and Shelby County governments should support families that want to send their kids to different schools when the only option forced upon them isn’t working. Their lawsuit is not about doing what’s best for Tennessee families,” IJ Attorney Keith Neely said.

In the lawsuit against the program, the plaintiffs allege that the ESA program violates three provisions of the Tennessee Constitution.

“No matter how you look at it, Tennessee’s ESA program is constitutional,” IJ Attorney David Hodges said. “ESA programs are popular throughout the country because they are an innovative way for parents to get the best education for their children. Instead of suing to stop these programs, Nashville and Memphis should be supporting parents.”

Since its founding over a quarter-century ago, IJ has successfully defended school choice programs across the country, including three times at the U.S. Supreme Court. This January, the U.S. Supreme Court heard Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, an IJ case that asks the Court to strike down a government ban on using tax-credit-funded scholarships to attend religious schools.
Donate to IJ: https://ij.org/support/give-now/

ij
,
institute for justice
,
freedom
,
liberty
,
individual rights
,
constitution
,
constitutional law
,
unconstitutional law
,
con law
,
constitutional litigation
    Thumbnail for Supreme Court Case: Seeking Justice for James King16:04
    Supreme Court Case: Seeking Justice for James King
    IJvids
    956 views
    Thumbnail for The Impartial Truth2:53
    The Impartial Truth
    AOU
    1411 views
    Thumbnail for Q400 Accident in Canada | Aaron Rheins0:39
    Q400 Accident in Canada | Aaron Rheins
    invidious
    132 views
    Thumbnail for Cooned0:06
    Cooned
    AOUisgay
    507 views
    Thumbnail for How a 14-Year Old Helped Bring Down Teacher Tenure in California6:25
    How a 14-Year Old Helped Bring Down Teacher Tenure in California
    ReasonVids
    1054 views
    Thumbnail for David Stockman on Wall Street, The Federal Reserve, and The Great Deformation56:35
    David Stockman on Wall Street, The Federal Reserve, and The Great Deformation
    ReasonVids
    923 views
    Thumbnail for Hong Kong Protesters Combat the Surveillance State7:47
    Hong Kong Protesters Combat the Surveillance State
    ReasonVids
    1257 views
    Thumbnail for side effects include...0:40
    side effects include...
    bestofupgoat
    141 views
    Thumbnail for What Game Callouts Sound Like To Your Parents | Shad Kinda Funny2:14
    What Game Callouts Sound Like To Your Parents | Shad Kinda Funny
    invidious
    375 views
    Thumbnail for Never ✍️ Interrupt ✍️ Joe Hendry ✍️ While ✍️ He’s ✍️ Singing ✍️ #WWENXT | WWE0:56
    Never ✍️ Interrupt ✍️ Joe Hendry ✍️ While ✍️ He’s ✍️ Singing ✍️ #WWENXT | WWE
    invidious
    79 views
    Thumbnail for 'Your Tears Are Delicious and Your Parties Will Die,' Says Libertarian Party Chair Nicholas Sarwark10:48
    'Your Tears Are Delicious and Your Parties Will Die,' Says Libertarian Party Chair Nicholas Sarwark
    ReasonVids
    1001 views
    Thumbnail for Let me get what I want1:01
    Let me get what I want
    EricaPolarBear.Archive
    266 views
    Thumbnail for HHS Is 'Finally Admitting' They Funded 'Gain-Of-Function Research' In Wuhan1:00
    HHS Is 'Finally Admitting' They Funded 'Gain-Of-Function Research' In Wuhan
    bestofupgoat
    341 views
    Thumbnail for A False Flag Reading List - Questions For Corbett #09349:40
    A False Flag Reading List - Questions For Corbett #093
    corbettreport_uo
    777 views
    Thumbnail for Andrea Weck & School Choice3:51
    Andrea Weck & School Choice
    IJvids
    1100 views
    Thumbnail for Governments local to national are ignoring your rights.0:35
    Governments local to national are ignoring your rights.
    IJvids
    876 views
    Thumbnail for She’s triggered because a customer wouldn’t put on a mask between bites0:56
    She’s triggered because a customer wouldn’t put on a mask between bites
    MannequinGothique
    897 views
    Thumbnail for The hidden meaning behind Twitter's new "X" logo 0:14
    The hidden meaning behind Twitter's new "X" logo
    bestofvoatxyz
    500 views
    Thumbnail for Based newly elected leader of Italy tells Macron to fuck off. 1:57
    Based newly elected leader of Italy tells Macron to fuck off.
    bestofvoatxyz
    617 views
    Thumbnail for Path-blocking feminists PHYSICALLY REMOVED by unstoppable wave of libertarians (San Luis, Argentina)0:32
    Path-blocking feminists PHYSICALLY REMOVED by unstoppable wave of libertarians (San Luis, Argentina)
    SingularityJett
    370 views
    Thumbnail for I go to the library to finish some editing software3:33
    I go to the library to finish some editing software
    rvnender
    2495 views
    Thumbnail for How to install ZenithOS (and also draw in it), a TempleOS distro1:00
    How to install ZenithOS (and also draw in it), a TempleOS distro
    moonchance
    2013 views
    Thumbnail for Tucker Carlson - Episode 110:27
    Tucker Carlson - Episode 1
    AOUisgay
    542 views
    Thumbnail for Modern EV drivers0:36
    Modern EV drivers
    bestofvoatxyz
    1394 views
    Thumbnail for Capturing a late summer swarm of bees #HandsomeOrHandy | Handsome Or Handy 1:00
    Capturing a late summer swarm of bees #HandsomeOrHandy | Handsome Or Handy
    invidious
    358 views

points

Permalink
Reply
ij
,
institute for justice
,
freedom
,
liberty
,
individual rights
,
constitution
,
constitutional law
,
unconstitutional law
,
con law
,
constitutional litigation
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle