Connecticut appeals dismissal of NCLB suit
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has appealed a federal judge's dismissal of the state's lawsuit challenging the No Child Left Behind Act, pledging to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. The lawsuit, filed in 2005, challenged the way the 2002 school reform law is funded. Blumenthal argued that the law imposes costs on the state and towns that violate the act's own prohibition against unfunded mandates. Blumenthal filed the appeal with the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. In a written statement, he said his office would bring the case to the nation's highest court if necessary. Representatives for the U.S. Department of Education praised the judge's ruling last month, calling it "a resounding victory for children and their families who seek to make a brighter future for themselves through education."
Source: Hartford Courant, 5/15/08, By Arielle Levin Becker
[Editor’s Note: The district court opinion dismissing the suit is summarized below.]
NSBA School Law pages on Connecticut v. Spellings