NOTTINGHAM, Md. — Parents in Baltimore County are taking the Baltimore County School Board and Superintendent to court.
Parents are calling for schools to reopen by March 1.
According to the Baltimore County Parents and Student’s Coalition, the lawsuit is needed because of a lack of accountability, transparency, and communication.
Two of the plaintiffs listed on the lawsuit are Amy Adams, a mother of three, and Mary Taylor, the COO of the coalition. They said this is the last resort.
"Virtual learning does not adequately provide the academic social and emotional growth our students need. We want BCPS to be strong and successful, we want our students and staff to thrive. We feel this is our only option at this time," said Adams.
Taylor added, "we believe there needs to be a plan for a complete and safe reopening of schools with an option for distant learning which will also include extracurricular activities."
A spokesperson for Baltimore County Public Schools released the following statement:
"Due to pending litigation, BCPS will have no comment regarding today's event. The BCPS Re-opening Plan is available publicly on the BCPS website, and we are now working with stakeholders and partners to soon share a timeline for our phased-in reopening, first with the Board of Education of Baltimore County and then with all community members."
The group threatening this lawsuit said the website is unclear and there is no timeline. When WMAR-2 News looked on the site, we found a 137 page document that was last updated on January 7th. It stated that virtual learning will continue through the end of the first semester, January 29th. However, no other dates were listed.
Advocates say a survey taken over the summer showed that the majority of parents, students, and staff preferred hybrid or in-person learning for the fall.
