Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law 1401 New York Avenue, NW Suite 400 Washington, DC 20005 For Immediate Release Contacts: Kim Alton, Lawyers’ Committee (202) 662-8600 March 21 ,2006 NAACP Holds Town Hall Meeting to Discuss No Child Left Behind Lawsuit HARTFORD – On Wednesday, March 22nd, the Connecticut State NAACP will convene the first in a series of town hall meetings to discuss the organization’s involvement in the controversial No Child Left Behind lawsuit between the State of Connecticut and the federal government. This past January, the NAACP, accompanied by several minority schoolchildren, requested permission from a federal court to join a case brought by the State contesting the No Child Left Behind Act. The NAACP claims the lawsuit (CT vs. Spellings), which outlines the State’s objection to testing and other requirements, hurts minority and poor schoolchildren and wastes State resources that could be used to improve schools. The town hall meeting is open to the public and will provide attendees with information on the current status and potential consequences of the lawsuit. Featured speakers include: John C. Brittain, Chief Counsel and Senior Deputy Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights; Dennis Hayes, National General Counsel of the National NAACP; and William Taylor, Chairman of the Citizens’ Commission on Civil Rights. WHO: Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches WHAT: Town Hall Meeting on No Child Left Behind Lawsuit WHEN: Wednesday, March 22nd at 6:00 p.m. WHERE: Thirman L. Milner Elementary School Auditorium 104 Vine Street, Hartford, Connecticut “By seeking to intervene in this lawsuit, members of the civil rights community are attempting to block the state from creating a legal defense that allows them to avoid the obligations of No Child Left Behind,” said John C. Brittain. “Such a claim by the state, if successful, could threaten the enforcement of many civil rights statutes,” added Brittain. A copy of the Motion to Intervene can be found at www.lawyerscommittee.org. See CT v. Spellings, Civ. No. 3:05-CV-01330 (MRK), (D. Ct. New Haven 2005). The Lawyers’ Committee is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights legal organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to provide legal services to address racial discrimination. back to Press Releases