English Learner students denied services in California, lawsuit alleges

A civil rights lawsuit contends that thousands of English Learner (EL) students across California are being denied appropriate language instruction. The suit, brought by the ACLU of California and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, contends that many districts are failing to provide any English Learner services to eligible students. Without “oral and written English fluency, students cannot comprehend what happens in the classroom, let alone master the core curriculum that the state of California has mandated for all students,” the suit argues.