Common Pleas Judge Ruling:
“Cincinnati Public Schools Violated State Law”
For years, some urban school districts have gone to great lengths to prevent charter schools from acquiring their abandoned schools buildings that were originally built with public dollars. Last year, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) auctioned nine closed school buildings and attached a
‘deed restriction that would prevent any purchaser from using those buildings as a school’.
Maurice Thompson, attorney for the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, took CPS to court and OCQE joined their action as one of the plaintiffs. Yesterday, Common Pleas Court Judge Robert Ruehlman ruled against CPS.
Thompson said, “It was akin to selling your home and putting a clause in the deed noting that it can’t be sold to a person of a specific race.”
He went on to say, “This ruling is ominous for school districts across the state, especially those in major metropolitan areas which can no longer use similar deed restrictions to try to keep charter schools from opening.”
All parents of charter school students and every Ohio taxpayer should join OCQE in thanking Mr. Thompson and the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law for protecting our public dollars and school choice.
Ron F. Adler
OCQE President
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