Page 4 - aruba-today-20210119

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 19 January 2021
School choice lawsuit surge pushes possible high court fight

By LISA RATHKE provide every school-age
Associated Press child in Vermont an equal
Vermont is facing at least educational opportunity”
its second lawsuit in four and prohibits the state from
months over a voucher adopting policies that de-
program that allows stu- prive children of that.
dents in communities that “The town tuitioning pro-
don’t have schools or are gram is an exceptional
not part of supervisory benefit to families but it is
unions to attend schools of fundamentally unfair to
their choice, including ap- only offer it some families
proved private institutions. and not to all of Vermont-
The Vermont system in ers,” said Brian Kelsey, se-
which certain towns pay nior attorney at the Lib-
tuition for students to at- erty Justice Center. “The
tend other schools is un- families that we represent
constitutional because it’s are struggling to pay for
not available to all students private school tuition and
in the state, according to they have a serious need
the Liberty Justice Center, to benefit from the town tu-
a Chicago-based national itioning system like parents
nonprofit law firm that fights in the state. “
for school choice. If the One family has a 15-year-
lawsuit succeeds, officials This Jan. 17, 2021 photo shows the independent Thaddeus Stevens School in Lyndon, Vt. old wheelchair-bound son,
at the nonprofit say they Associated Press who requires assistance
will file legal challenges out of programs that send Appeals and the parents case, the federal appeals with basic activities, includ-
in other states with similar public money to private challenging the law and court granted an injunc- ing eating and going to the
school choice programs. education. Following that their attorneys have vowed tion on Friday to stop Ver- bathroom, according to
But critics say the lawsuit is decision, three Vermont to appeal the decision to mont from excluding a high the complaint. The district
a veiled attempt to get a families filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court. school student who attends has school choice for 7th
case to the U.S. Supreme September in federal court, Another lawsuit was filed in a religious school from tak- and 8th grade so he was
Court, where conservative saying that denying them New Hampshire. ing college classes under able to attend the inde-
judges hold six of nine seats, the state tuition benefit to Maine and New Hampshire the state’s dual enrollment pendent Compass School,
to get more public funding send their children to reli- have similar programs for program. In the latest suit where he has been thriv-
into private education, in- gious schools is unconstitu- students who live in com- in Vermont, lawyers for ing, the lawsuit states. The
cluding religious schools. tional. A similar lawsuit chal- munities without schools the four families suing the school gave him his own
The Vermont suit comes six lenging Maine’s exclusion to attend public or non- state and their school dis- bathroom, added wheel-
months after a divided U.S. of religious schools from a religious private schools tricts argue that Vermont’s chair ramps and staff, and
Supreme Court ruled in a high school tuition voucher of their choice. In light of town tuition system violates processed his food so he
Montana case that states program was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court the Vermont constitution can eat at school, the
can’t cut religious schools the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of decision in the Montana that “obligates the state to complaint said.q

Man allegedly hid 3 months at Chicago airport due to virus

CHICAGO (AP) — A Cali- to fly has been arrested Airport for three months. During the hearing, Assis- Before she granted Singh
fornia man who told po- on charges that he hid in Aditya Singh, 36, is tant States Attorney Kath- bail, Cook County Judge
lice that the coronavirus a secured area at Chica- charged with felony crimi- leen Hagerty said that Susana Ortiz was clearly
pandemic left him afraid go’s O’Hare International nal trespass to a restricted Singh was spotted by two troubled that someone
area of an airport and mis- United Airlines employees, could remain in a secured
demeanor theft after he who asked him for iden- area for so long at the air-
was arrested Saturday. At tification, the Chicago port without anyone notic-
a court hearing on Sun- Tribune reported. Singh ing.
day, a judge ruled that the lowered his mask and “The court finds these facts
Orange, California, man showed a badge that ac- and circumstances quite
could be released if he tually belonged to an op- shocking for the alleged
paid $1,000, but said that erations manager at the period of time that this oc-
Singh was prohibited from airport who had reported curred,” the judge said.
setting foot in the airport. it missing in late October, “Being in a secured part of
As of Monday morning, Hagerty said. the airport under a fake ID
Singh remained in the The employees called badge allegedly, based
Cook County Jail. police, who took Singh upon the need for airports
Assistant Public Defender into custody. Singh was to be absolutely secure so
Courtney Smallwood said “scared to go home due that people feel safe to
Singh does not have a to COVID,” Hagerty said, travel, I do find those al-
criminal record. She also and told authorities that leged actions do make
said it was unclear why he’d found the badge him a danger to the com-
This Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, booking photo provided by the Singh, who is unemployed, and that other passengers munity.”
Cook County Sheriff’s Office shows Aditya Singh.
Associated Press came to Chicago or if he at the airport had given Singh is scheduled to re-
has ties to the area. him food. turn to court Jan. 27.q