Supreme Court Says School Segregation Lawsuit Can Proceed

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Supreme Court says a lawsuit that claims school segregation denies some students the right to an adequate education can move forward in the courts.

Monday's ruling comes in a class-action lawsuit filed by parents of children who attend Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools. The parents claimed that schools segregated by racial and economic factors have put children of color and metro children into lower-performing schools, violating their rights.

The state had argued the issue should be left to the Legislature.

But the majority on the Supreme Court found that the case can proceed, and the judiciary can assess whether the state is meeting its constitutional requirements to provide an adequate education. The decision reverses an earlier Court of Appeals decision to throw out the case.