EDCHOICE VOUCHER LITIGATION MOVING FORWARD
Below is a Press Release regarding the engagement of the law firm of Walter|Haverfield to provide legal counsel to challenge the constitutionality of the EdChoice Voucher Program.
Encourage local media to pick up on this important (historic) announcement.
For Immediate Release December 17, 2020
Vouchers Hurt Ohio Engages Walter | Haverfield Law Firm
to Stop Unlawful and Harmful EdChoice Voucher Expansion
More Districts Joining Weekly to Protect Students, Parents, Taxpayers and Communities
COLUMBUS -- Vouchers Hurt Ohio, a growing coalition of school districts against wasteful spending on private schools, has engaged the Cleveland-based law firm of Walter | Haverfield to stop the unlawful and harmful expansion of vouchers in Ohio.
"We're looking forward to working with Darrell A. Clay and the team at Walter | Haverfield. We were able to come together as public school districts in the '90s and successfully sue the state, and the Ohio Supreme Court ruled the school funding system is unconstitutional. We believe we will have a similar outcome in a lawsuit against vouchers. More than 50 school districts have already joined Vouchers Hurt Ohio with more coming every week," said William L. Phillis, Executive Director for the Coalition for Equity & Adequacy in School Funding.
"State lawmakers have been expanding the voucher programs without regard to the impact it is having on the public school children in this state. The private school vouchers are being given to people with children who have never been enrolled in a public school. It's a ripoff, plain and simple," said Cathy Johnson, a South-Western City School Board member.
"In 2020, EdChoice vouchers alone, cost the taxpayers of my school district -- Canton City Schools -- $2.75 million. The Ohio General Assembly continues to signal that this number will continue to increase, further burdening taxpayers, and imperiling public school districts' ability to provide a thorough and efficient system of schools required by the Ohio Constitution. It is the first duty of school boards to protect their taxpayers and community assets. I am proud the Canton City School District was among the first to join this coalition of other Ohio school districts, families, stakeholders, unions and advocates for public education," said Eric Resnick, Canton City School Board Member.
Vouchers Hurt Ohio is a growing coalition of public schools districts that are members of the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy for School Funding that has come together to address the harmful private school voucher program.
Since 1932, Walter | Haverfield attorneys have served as strategic counselors to private businesses, public entities and high-net-worth individuals, providing creative and customized solutions that deliver outstanding results at an exceptional value. Our track record has allowed us to sustain year-after-year growth. Walter | Haverfield has more than doubled in the past decade to become one of Cleveland’s top ten law firms with additional offices located in Columbus, Mayfield Heights and Avon. Today, our team of 90 attorneys is focused primarily in the areas of business services, real estate, intellectual property, education, labor and employment, tax and wealth management, hospitality and liquor control law, litigation and public law.
-30-
For more information:
Dennis Willard
614.209.8945
dennis@precisionnewmedia,com
