The Detroit Federation of Teachers have filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court against the district as they are seeking for the repairing of the deplorable conditions of schools in the area. They are also asking for the removal of the state-appointed emergency manager, who is responsible for the unattended and unfixed parts of the schools.
In a report by ABC News, the suit says that the Detroit Federation of Teacher seeks an appropriate funded capital plan to fix the problems of schools districtwide. As for the Emergency Manager Darnell Earley, he is alleged of not performing his duty to "its students, parents, teachers, and community to provide a minimally adequate education and to properly maintain the schools."
The suit adds that the defendants also allowed the physical condition of Destroit's schools to deteriorate to the point of crisis, forcing the school-age children to spend their time in deplorable surroundings that risks their health and safety.
RT also reported that the parents joined the Detroit Federation of Teachers in the lawsuit. The interim president of the federation, Ivy Bailey, said in a statement that the state has brought the "school district to its knees."
The American Federation of Teachers' president, Randi Weingarten, also joined the lawsuit and said in statement that children attending schools in Detroit are being sent mixed signals as they say that a great education is the gateway to a bright future. However, they are studying every day in "abysmal, often dangerous classroom conditions."
As per the report of WXYZ, one of the schools' teachers, Carleton Elementary, posted photos of the damages such as pieces of tiles coming loose and falling off from the ceiling. In one incident, one student was hit in the head during testing due to the falling debris. Other examples in the lawsuit are rodent droppings at Dossin and bathroom equipment not functioning at Osborn.
Mayor Mike Duggan toured some of the schools earlier this month and he said that he saw a dead mouse, children wearing coats due to the cold classrooms and a gym floor that was not suitable for playing. He said in a statement, "Our children need our teachers in the classroom. ... But there's no question about the legitimacy of the issues that they're raising."
Earley has also issued a statement, saying his focus is preparing the Detroit Public Schools for long-term financial sustainability. He added, "My team and I have worked hard to develop and implement a comprehensive restructuring plan that has taken a financially broken educational system and transformed it into one that, but for its long-term debt, has eliminated it structural budget deficit." The district faces $515 million in debt and they aim to pay $56 million annually.
He added that they are aware of the matters at hand regarding the disrepair and they continue to try and fix the problems with what resources are available.
