One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Elissa Malespina, has declared her candidacy for Board of Education.
She also ran in 2015 but lost.
There were also monetary awards for the plaintiffs as part of the settlement, including for Elissa Malespina.
From July:
With the monetary amounts of the financial settlements now available, Malespina shared, “The $25K that is in our name is going to the MapSO Freedom School. The $5K which is specifically in my son’s name will he used for college expenses.”
Financial Details Revealed in Settlement Against South Orange-Maplewood; Malespina to Donate $25K (Village Green)
Experienced babysitter available after Labor Day!
Jul 25, 2024 at 1:49pm
Jul 25, 2024 at 1:46pm
Jul 24, 2024 at 1:46pm
Stop Summer Slide: get tutoring in math/Reading/Writing. Or get a "leg up" 4 next year. All grades.
Jul 24, 2024 at 12:33pm
Jul 24, 2024 at 12:20pm
Driving Blessed Babysitter Available PT/FT 347.765.8997 text or call
Jul 24, 2024 at 10:54am
Construction/Electrical Company Administrative Assistant
Jul 26, 2024 at 1:27pm
Jul 26, 2024 at 11:41am
MF628 FT Nanny for 2 (Early Aug Start)
Jul 24, 2024 at 3:11pm
Pet Sitter - Morning, Evenings, Weekends & Holidays
Jul 24, 2024 at 1:55pm
The Black Parents Workshop's (BPW) School (In)Equity Report and Settlement Terms were posted to their website around mid-July:
https://blackparentsworkshop.org/
For reference: February 27, 2018: The Black Parents Workshop, Inc. filed a federal lawsuit (Docket 2:18-CV-02726) in U.S. District Court in the District of New Jersey in Newark on behalf of four plaintiffs’ families against the South Orange-Maplewood (New Jersey) School District alleging violations of federal and state laws. The lawsuit is based on a pattern of policies and practices that have discriminated against African-American students.
My first impressions:
https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/board-of-education/accessandequity/
https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/board-of-education/board-of-education-overview-2-2-2/
And the restorative practices approach and Code of Conduct, which had one update in 2017, and received another update October 2019 (https://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/somsd-revised-code-of-conduct-addresses-hate-speech-student-ids-police-intervention/).
A Settlement Press Release is also available for download from the Black Parents Workshop website. The release reviews some lawsuit achievements, steps the district has taken since the lawsuit filing, as well as critiques. It also announces the new leadership of the Black Parents Workshop, and indicates some of the historical fractures and alliances across individuals, various community groups and BOE. I found it an interesting read.