Students and Parents Sue the Chicago School District

On September 24th of this year, a student at Fenger High School in Chicago was beaten to death while walking home from school. The incident was caught on film. Since then, parents who have tried to transfer their children to other schools out of concern for their safety have been stonewalled by a system that makes transferring schools difficult, at best. Some parents have kept their children home from school in the mean time. Now a group of students and parents is suing the school district, claiming that their right to a public education (a property right) is being effectively denied without due process of law, in violation of the 14th amendment. The parents are seeking an immediate court order forcing the school district to permit mid year transfers out of Fenger High School. The court will take up the case on Monday in an emergency hearing.