Gotham Legal Foundation Files Lawsuit to Repeal New York's Blaine Amendment

NEW YORK, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today Manhattan-based Gotham Legal Foundation filed a lawsuit in federal court to repeal New York State's Blaine Amendment. The New York Blaine Amendment, ratified in 1894 in response to newly arrived Catholic immigrants interested in creating their own religiously-run schools, has discriminatory elements that are the basis for the Gotham lawsuit, which was filed today on behalf of Harlem Reverend Michel Faulkner's New Horizon Church of New York. New Horizon's desire to open a charter school in Faulkner's community has been thwarted by the century-old Amendment.

"The lawsuit we are bringing on behalf of Reverend Faulkner's church will demonstrate that this Amendment is discriminatory and merely a mechanism conveniently employed by teachers unions and the Left to keep African American and Hispanic children in failing schools," said Jay Golub, Gotham's Executive Director. "Reverend Faulkner is not going to teach religion in the charter school the church would open, but he is without question the closest to his community and thereby best-positioned to address the concerns of parents seeking a better education for their children," he added. "Gotham is pleased to bring this suit on behalf of Harlem residents who desire options and choices for their kids currently underserved or failed by the New York public school system."

Charter schools are authorized under New York State's 1998 Charter School Act. There are currently sixty (60) charter schools in New York City which educate more than 12,000 public school students, numbers Reverend Faulkner would like to see increased:

"The educational system in my community has failed too many children," said Faulkner. "For too long we've been told by the educational establishment that the public education system is meeting our needs and that is simply not the case," he added. "Repealing the Blaine Amendment, which is antiquated and discriminatory, is the first step toward creating educational options my community tells me they want. Many in my community can't afford private schooling."

Gotham Legal Foundation is a Manhattan-based legal and public policy foundation dedicated to taking an activist approach to advance the cause of liberty. Gotham is committed to restoring first principles by engaging in litigation and public policy advocacy that will proactively advance the principles of individual and economic freedom.

To view the full complaint, please visit http://www.gothamlegal.org.