Ropes & Gray Pro Bono Team Provides Assistance to Halt Closure of Elementary School

In The News
May 14, 2012
On May 12, the Santa Rosa School Board agreed to stop the closure of a local elementary school as part of a settlement agreement with families and a community group who filed a suit citing violations of state education and anti-discrimination laws. Ropes & Gray provided pro bono assistance with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area and California Rural Legal Assistance challenging the School Board’s decision to close Doyle Park Elementary and place a French-American charter school in its place. A lawsuit was filed on April 18 on behalf of the Doyle Park Committee for Educational Equity. The suit contended that the school closure would have a negative and disproportionate impact on Latino students, who comprise 75% of the Doyle Park student body, and violates state anti-discrimination laws.

San Francisco-based securities litigation associates Sarah Zenewicz were involved in this matter.