How Much Is Owed To Flint Students Affected By Water Crisis?

ACLU of Michigan Director Kary Moss joins Detroit Today to talk about a new lawsuit on behalf of Flint students.

Flint River

Jake Neher/WDET

Students in Flint who have been affected by the city’s drinking water crisis are not getting the basic services they need to do well in school. That’s according to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Michigan this week.

We’ve been talking for a long time about all of the things that need to happen to aid the people of Flint and rebuild the trust that was shattered there. Still, many critics of the state’s response to the crisis say relatively little has happened to address those long-term issues. 

It’s also important to note that it is still not safe for many people in Flint to drink their tap water without filters.

“It’s now been about close to a year since the magnitude of the exposure was kind of fully exposed, and virtually nothing has happened to help the public schools,” says ACLU of Michigan Executive Director Kary Moss.

From the group’s press release announcing the lawsuit:

“On behalf of 15 named plaintiffs and tens of thousands of schoolchildren in Flint, the ACLU of Michigan and the Education Law Center filed a class-action civil rights lawsuit in Flint… documenting ongoing violations of federal education laws by the State of Michigan and local school authorities. The additional demands Flint’s lead crisis now places on the education system to identify and serve affected children require State and local authorities to take immediate steps to fulfill their legal obligations.”

Click on the audio player above to hear the full conversation. 

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