BALTIMORE — Baltimore City Public Schools have settled a 2022 lawsuit filed by a student parent who accused the school system of unlawful corruption and mismanagement.
Jovani Patterson alleged Baltimore City Schools enhanced student attendance and grades for funding purposes.
RELATED:Judge allows lawsuit against Baltimore City schools to continue
The lawsuit entailed hours of litigation and thousands of documents turned over throughout the discovery process.
A judge refused to admit some evidence including a State Inspector General's report which uncovered how the school system changed 12,552 student grades from failing to passing between 2016 and 2020.
MORE: Baltimore City Public Schools changed more than 12,000 grades from failing to passing
In the end both parties agreed to settle with certain conditions in place.
While strongly denying the allegations, the school system agreed to fund randomized audits over a three-year period, specifically focusing on student grade changes.
Under the agreement three schools will be inspected each year, with a maximum 300 grades up for review.
A similar type audit back in 2019 helped propel Patterson's lawsuit.
SEE ALSO: Former Baltimore City School administrators ran scheme altering student attendance, grades
Additionally the settlement calls for increased transparency and public access related to student attendance and enrollment numbers.
Patterson issued this statement after the settlement was announced.
"Transparency and accountability have consistently my objective. When we know better, we do better. Fighting for our city, our communities, our children is always worth it, even if the results aren't immediately felt."
According to the latest Maryland Comprehensive Assessment scores, Baltimore City students finished with a statewide low math and English Language Arts proficiency rates of 10.2 and 27.7 percent respectively.
The full settlement can be read here.
