SAUGUS — The civil rights groups Lawyers for Civil Rights and Massachusetts Advocates for Children are suing Saugus Public Schools, requesting records related to its admissions policy.
The lawsuit, filed Sept. 18, states that the two organizations are seeking records related to Saugus Public Schools’ admissions policy, which was adopted by the School Committee on Aug.10, 2023.
“The student admission policy…unlawfully requires families to complete the Town Census before enrolling their children and includes other restrictive measures that disproportionately exclude immigrant schoolchildren from Saugus schools,” the suit stated.
The groups further state in their suit that the policy violates the rights guaranteed to immigrant and mixed-status families under the U.S. Constitution, the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights, as well as other federal and state laws.
“Since the time that the Saugus School Committee enacted it, the policy has resulted in numerous harms to young children, including missed months of school, inability to secure adequate transportation to and from school, and other barriers to entry,” the suit states.
The lawsuit further states that the organizations sent a public records request on May 24 to the town for information related to the policy, such as its implementation, amendments, adoption and application. In response to this request, the only documentation provided was the policy itself.
In a release, the submission of this documentation alone was called “insufficient.” The lawsuit’s goal is to ask the court to order the town to “turn over internal policies, forms and School Committee emails and texts related to the policy.”
After receipt of the policy, the organizations requested additional supplementary documentation on July 5. The suit states there has been no response yet to this request.
The suit requests that the town produces all requested documents “without further delay.”
Diana Santiago, Legal Director at Massachusetts Advocates for Children, said that “refusing to turn over public records that would shed light on why such a policy was enacted and how it is being implemented only compounds the problem.”
School Committee Chairman Vincent Serino replied to a request for comment, saying that the admissions policy “…ensures that our students are residents of Saugus and do not live in surrounding cities and towns.”
Serino additionally said that the policy does not apply students who are covered under the McKinney-Vento Act, nor would a family’s immigration status “impact their ability to receive an education in Saugus schools.”
Serino said that this policy is utilized in surrounding districts without issue.
