Literacy Lawsuit against the State of California

Decoding Dyslexia CA feels it is important to keep its members updated on trending issues regarding literacy in California. We also closely follow litigation as it relates to students with dyslexia. DDCA shared the news articles that came out in December 2017 regarding the Ella T. v. State of California lawsuit which named California Department of Education, State Board of Education and Tom Torlakson, as defendants. The lawsuit alleges that California has failed to follow up on its own report by state literacy experts that found there was a “critical need” to address the skills and development of students, particularly those who are learning English, have disabilities, are economically disadvantaged, or are African-American or Hispanic. For your further review, we are attaching the link to a New York Times article on this matter, a link to the 2012 Literacy Report referenced in the article, and the copy of the actual complaint that was filed in the CA Superior Court in Los Angeles. We will continue to monitor and update you as we learn more.

New York Times Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/us/california-literacy-lawsuit.html

2012 Literacy Report referenced in article (click on CA): https://www2.ed.gov/programs/strivingreaders-literacy/literacyprofiles.html

Copy of the Complaint filed: https://media2.mofo.com/documents/171205-ellla-t-v-california-complaint.pdf