Pages

Thursday, April 15, 2021

Howard County parents lose lawsuit aimed to strip student school board member’s vote


A lawsuit filed by two Howard County parents that challenged the voting rights of the school board’s student member failed in Howard County Circuit Court.

Judge Richard S. Bernhardt wrote in his opinion that the student member position is not in violation of the Maryland constitution...

...Eighteen of the 25 Maryland school boards don’t allow students to vote. However, most school boards in the Baltimore region, including the state board, have one student member who can vote on most topics...

...Therefore, since Bernhardt determined the student member isn’t elected, the argument over the member’s age isn’t valid since no age requirement exists for “nonelected members” in the Maryland constitution or state law...

...A month later, 128 former student school board members in Maryland weighed in on the lawsuit in an amicus brief submitted to the court, saying it the lawsuit is an “egregious attack” on student representation.

The brief, filed by Washington, D.C.-based law firm Venable LLP in hopes of influencing the court’s decision, argued the lawsuit was invalid because the student member is not elected, which was the same reasoning Bernhardt used in his opinion Thursday...


https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/howard/cng-ho-board-wins-lawsuit-20210326-6bynogacgzdphgoexwowobtgoe-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3iolsF0ifcIHb-ieQKg0D874IdJn2RkcxYUvwlRyJQiGOvAIkcV2iTbt4

No comments:

Post a Comment

If your comment does not appear in 24 hours, please send your comment directly to our e-mail address:
parentscoalitionmc AT outlook.com