Parents File Complaint Against the DeKalb School System

The DeKalb County School System's decision to close eight schools and redraw attendance lines for 7,000 students have "threads of segregation and gentrification in its best practices", said a group of parents in an injunction filed Monday in Superior Court.

Plaintiffs Latasha Walker of Lithonia, Kim Ault, Kendall London, all of whom are from DeKalb County, and Annette Davis Jackson of Gwinnett County, said the district planned its decision without “community, parent, and student participation.” The injunction aims to put a moratorium on school closings, according to the complaint.

The complaint says that interventions should be made for DeKalb County children in the DeKalb County School system who have no voice in the redistricting, consolidation,

The parents have requested an audit of operations and details of how the decision to close schools and redistrict others was made.

“The county listens in public input meetings, however they as a district fail to listen and proactively implement concerns, as they have failed to make all schools great no matter the level of income and participation,” according to the complaint.

John Evans, First Vice President of the DeKalb NAACP, also is listed as a plaintiff in the document. However, when reached for comment, Evans said his name was used without his permission and he has asked that it be removed from the complaint.

Patch was unable to reach Walker, the lead plaintiff for comment.

Spokesman Jeff Dickerson with the DeKalb County schools said attorney's have not seen the complaint and therefore they do not have a comment at this time.

Brookhaven schools and its students were virtually untouched in the Interim Superintendent's recommendations to consolidate and redistrict Dekalb County Schools.