FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 7, 2020
Contact: Ashley Levett, SPLC, ashley.levett@splcenter.org / 334-296-0084 Sharon Krengel, ELC, skrengel@edlawcenter.org / 973-624-1815, x24 Lindsay Kee, ACLU-TN, 615-320-7142 Christopher Wood, Robbins Geller, cwood@rgrdlaw.com / 615- 244-2203
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, in ongoing litigation challenging the state’s private school voucher law, Chancellor Martin heard the defendants’ motion to stay her order declaring the voucher law unconstitutional and permanently enjoining its implementation. Chancellor Martin ruled from the bench, denying the defendants’ motion for a stay. Therefore, the voucher program cannot be implemented, and no funds can be expended, during the appeal. Chancellor Martin also ordered the state to notify the public that the program will not go forward at this time.
The following can be attributed to Chris Wood, partner at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd, who argued for the McEwen plaintiffs:
“We are gratified that the court reaffirmed that the voucher law is unconstitutional and cannot be implemented.”
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The Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Alabama with offices in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org/.
Founded in 1973, Education Law Center is a national leader in advancing the rights of public school students to equal educational opportunity under state and federal law through litigation, policy, advocacy and research. For more information, visit www.edlawcenter.org/.
The ACLU of Tennessee, the state affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union, is a private, non-profit, non-partisan public interest organization dedicated to defending and advancing civil liberties and civil rights through advocacy, coalition-building, litigation, legislative lobbying, community mobilization and public education. For more information, visit www.aclu-tn.org/.
Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world’s leading complex litigation firms representing plaintiffs in securities fraud, antitrust, corporate mergers and acquisitions, consumer and insurance fraud, multi-district litigation, and whistleblower protection cases. With 200 lawyers in 9 offices, Robbins Geller has obtained many of the largest securities, antitrust, and consumer class action recoveries in history, recovering tens of billions of dollars for victims of fraud and corporate wrongdoing. Robbins Geller attorneys are consistently recognized by courts, professional organizations and the media as leading lawyers in their fields of practice. Visit www.rgrdlaw.com/.
