ST. LOUIS – A coalition of community members is suing St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) Board President Antoinette “Toni” Cousins and the SLPS board for limiting criticism and failing to address educational shortcomings in the school district.
The lawsuit alleges that the board utilized policies that have silenced critics advocating for change in the district. The coalition, which is filled with a group of parents, teachers, taxpayers, and community advocates, is being led by the founder of the Coalition for STL Kids, Chester Asher.
The lawsuit highlights concerns that the SLPS board had no meaningful goals in place despite critical concerns from the community, including a crisis in which 79% of students and 87% of Black students were not able to read at grade level.
The lawsuit requests that SLPS end their policies that suppress community engagement and restore the rights of community members in participating in local public education in a meaningful way.
“This lawsuit is about ensuring the voices of parents, teachers, and taxpayers are not suppressed,” Asher said. “The Board’s repeated attempts to label criticism as ‘anti-SLPS’ stifle the community’s ability to demand the improvements our children deserve. Loving SLPS and advocating for its betterment should go hand in hand.”
The lawsuit comes at a challenging time for SLPS, in which the school district continues to manage a leadership crisis amidst the firing of former superintendent Keisha Scarlett.