Civil Rights in Education: Legal Complaints in Morgan v. Hennigan
Focusing on Details: Compare and Contrast
All documents and text associated with this activity are printed below, followed by a worksheet for student responses.Introduction
In 1972, a group of African American parents and schoolchildren (the plaintiffs) brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee and other education officials (the defendants) violated the 14th Amendent of the U.S. Constitution by instituting a deliberate policy of raciaI segregation. In 1974, Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found in favor of the plaintiffs and ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that included the use of busing on a citywide basis. In 1975, another group of parents and schoolchildren joined the original plaintiffs as "Intervenors" and filed their own class action lawsuit against the same defendants.Name:
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Worksheet
Civil Rights in Education: Legal Complaints in Morgan v. Hennigan
Focusing on Details: Compare and Contrast
Examine the documents included in this activity and write your response in the space provided.
Read and take notes on each of these legal complaint documents one at a time, considering the questions below. (To distinguish the documents in your notes, label the document on the left "Morgan v. Hennigan" and the document on the right "El Comite v. Hennigan.") 1. Where were these lawsuits filed? Hint: Look at the heading found on each document. 2. How many pages are in each document? How are they organized? Do they use sections with numbers, letters, headings, a combination? 3. When was each lawsuit filed? What day, month, year, and time of day? 4. Who are the plaintiffs or intervenors suing on behalf of (the class)? Who are the defendants? Who are the lawyers/law firms for each class action lawsuit? 5. Why are the plaintiffs or intervenors suing the defendants? What do they accuse the defendants of doing wrong? How do they attempt to prove it? 6. What U.S. laws do the plaintiffs or intervenors use to justify bringing these cases to the court? 7. What remedy (action to solve the wrongdoing) is each lawsuit looking for from the court?
Your Response
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Civil Rights in Education: Legal Complaints in Morgan v. Hennigan
Focusing on Details: Compare and Contrast
Using your notes, outline and discuss 3-5 key similarities and 3-5 differences between the two lawsuits.Your Response
Document
Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al. Complaint
3/15/1972
This complaint initiated the civil action case of Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al., also known as the Boston Schools Desegregation Case.
In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by a deliberate policy of racial segregation. Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found that the Boston School Committee had intentionally carried out a program of segregation in the Boston Public Schools.
The ruling, upheld unanimously by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that addressed student assignment, teacher employment, and facility improvement procedures, as well as the use of busing on a citywide basis. The Boston School Committee failed to present an adequate plan, so the court assumed an active role in the formulation of the desegregation plan and oversaw implementation of court-ordered desegregation in the Boston public schools.
In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by a deliberate policy of racial segregation. Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found that the Boston School Committee had intentionally carried out a program of segregation in the Boston Public Schools.
The ruling, upheld unanimously by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that addressed student assignment, teacher employment, and facility improvement procedures, as well as the use of busing on a citywide basis. The Boston School Committee failed to present an adequate plan, so the court assumed an active role in the formulation of the desegregation plan and oversaw implementation of court-ordered desegregation in the Boston public schools.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 4713867
Full Citation: Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al. Complaint; 3/15/1972; Tallulah Morgan et al v. James W. Hennigan et al Case File; Civil Action Case Files, 1938 - 1998; Records of District Courts of the United States, ; National Archives at Boston, Waltham, MA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/morgan-complaint, April 25, 2024]Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al. Complaint
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Document
Complaint in Intervention from El Comite De Padres Pro Defensa De La Education Bilingue
1/23/1975
This complaint from the Comite de Padres pro Defensa de la Education Bilingue seeks to provide relief to Hispanic children during the Boston schools desegregation crisis. It comes from the court case Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al., known as the Boston Schools Desegregation Case. In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by a deliberate policy of racial segregation. Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found that the Boston School Committee had intentionally carried out a program of segregation in the Boston Public Schools. The ruling, upheld unanimously by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that addressed student assignment, teacher employment, and facility improvement procedures, as well as the use of busing on a citywide basis. The Boston School Committee failed to present an adequate plan, so the court assumed an active role in the formulation of the desegregation plan and oversaw implementation of court-ordered desegregation in the Boston public schools. This document was digitized by teachers in our Primarily Teaching 2014 Summer Workshop in Boston.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 12161209
Full Citation: Complaint in Intervention from El Comite De Padres Pro Defensa De La Education Bilingue; 1/23/1975; Tallulah Morgan et al v. James W. Hennigan et al Case File, 1972 - 1991; Civil Action Case Files, 1938 - 1998; Records of District Courts of the United States, ; National Archives at Boston (RE-BO), Waltham, MA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/complaint-in-intervention-from-el-comite-de-padres-pro-defensa-de-la-education-bilingue, April 25, 2024]Complaint in Intervention from El Comite De Padres Pro Defensa De La Education Bilingue
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