PRESS RELEASES

Students, Teachers File Landmark Federal Class Action Complaint Demanding Schools Address Unique Learning Needs of Children Affected by Violence and Trauma

 

Public Counsel May 2015

 

Lawsuit addresses barrier to academic achievement; demands adoption of proven trauma-informed practices in public schools

 

LOS ANGELES, CA -- In a landmark, first-of-its kind case, students and teachers of a California school district today filed a class action complaint addressing a widespread, yet often ignored, public health crisis in America: the adverse impact of childhood trauma on learning.

 

Research has proven that childhood trauma stands in the way of academic success for millions of children, especially those in underserved communities. Low literacy, high dropout rates, repeating grades, low achievement, and the school-to-prison pipeline have all been shown to have a high correlation with exposure to trauma...