Lawsuits filed against schools divert precious time and energy away from our core focus of supporting student learning and achievement in the classroom. These and other negative impacts factor heavily in our approach to litigation.
Given these considerations, today we withdrew our appeal of the court’s preliminary injunction order in S.E. et al v. Grey, et al. Two recent events led to this decision.
First, in late June the U.S. Supreme Court made new federal law in Mahmoud v. Taylor by deciding that public schools must provide advance notice and offer an opt-out option for curricular materials that may conflict with parents’ religious beliefs. Second, following the Mahmoud decision, EUSD updated its policies and corresponding regulation to align with the Supreme Court’s new law. In light of the new law and the EUSD’s prompt policy updates the court’s preliminary injunction is essentially displaced. It is our assessment that continuing the appeal is no longer fiscally responsible or a prudent use of the District’s limited resources.
We continue to refute any wrongdoing and fully support our staff’s continued compliance with California and the new federal law. We believe discontinuing the lawsuit is in the best interest of our school community and that plaintiffs’ objective is a Legislative not litigious matter. However, if the lawsuit proceeds, we are prepared to present and defend our position at trial. In the meantime, our topmost priority remains maintaining a safe, supportive, and high-quality learning environment for all our students and staff.
