New Jersey Appeals Court Hears Arguments in School Segregation Case

Attorneys returned to court to debate whether New Jersey's enrollment data is sufficient to establish a constitutional violation regarding racial segregation in public schools. Plaintiffs urged a three-judge appeals court panel to overturn a previous 2023 ruling that recognized persistent segregation but did not declare it unconstitutional.

The lawsuit, originally filed in May 2018 by civil rights groups, families, and organizations including the Latino Action Network and the NAACP, argues that the state requirement forcing children to attend schools in their home districts violates the New Jersey Constitution. The plaintiffs highlighted 23 severely segregated districts, pointing to Essex County where predominantly Black and Latino urban districts border wealthier suburban communities.

State representatives countered that enrollment numbers alone do not prove a constitutional violation, calling for an examination of individual districts' geography, educational opportunities, and parental preferences. The state also cited existing school choice programs, charter schools, and oversight while arguing that the plaintiffs failed to prove intentional discrimination.