Students File Lawsuit Seeking Racial Integration Plan for Massachusetts Public Schools

A group of students filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court seeking to require state education officials to create a comprehensive plan for greater racial integration in Massachusetts public schools. The suit names nine Black and Latino students who attend schools in Springfield, Holyoke, Boston, Lawrence, Brockton, Lynn, and Worcester.

The students contend that state education officials are denying them the right to an adequate and equal education under the state constitution by maintaining a system of racially segregated schools.

For generations, school districts in Massachusetts have followed municipal boundaries, resulting in widespread racial segregation. A report two years ago by the state's Racial Imbalance Advisory Council found that nearly two-thirds of all schools are segregated or intensely segregated by race, affecting more than 225,000 students.

The report defined a school as segregated if white or non-white students made up between 71 and 89 percent of enrollment, and as intensely segregated if 90 percent or more of students were white or non-white. Housing patterns and neighborhood school assignments contribute to these demographics.

The students are represented by Lawyers for Civil Rights, Brown's Promise, and pro bono counsel from WilmerHale. Four community organizations are also plaintiffs: Essex County Community Organization, Worcester Interfaith, YWCA of Central Massachusetts, and Out Now.

The requested plan includes voluntary measures such as creating more regional vocational technical schools and expanding the Metco program, which allows students to attend schools outside their district. The plan also calls for efforts to improve underperforming schools in lower-income areas and for free transportation to support student movement.

Juanita Batchelor, grandmother and legal guardian of the lead plaintiff enrolled in the Springfield Public School District, said the system is not preparing students for the real world if it does not prepare them to learn, play, live, and work together.

GeDá Jones Herbert, chief legal counsel at Brown's Promise, said the goal is to ensure that all children can learn and thrive together in well-resourced schools. Jillian Lenson, senior attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights, said the lawsuit is about building a system where opportunity is not determined by zip code.

The litigation comes as efforts to promote school diversity face scrutiny by the Trump administration and questions about the future of such policies with a right-leaning U.S. Supreme Court. The suit relies on the Massachusetts Constitution rather than the U.S. Constitution.