A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Arizona’s schools chief that challenged programs that some school districts use to teach non-English speaking students.

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Arizona’s schools chief that challenged programs that some school districts use to teach non-English speaking students.

Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne argued dual language programs – in which students spend half the day learning English and the other half focusing on another language — violate a 2000 voter-approved law that requires those students to be taught only in English, KJZZ radio reported.

In a ruling Tuesday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper concluded Horne lacked the statutory authority and legal standing to file the lawsuit and that he failed to state legal claims against Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes and 10 school districts.

In dismissing the case, Cooper ruled districts are required to use language immersion models approved by the state Board of Education, and the dual language models used by the 10 districts named in the lawsuit had that approval.

“The State Board, not the School Districts, are responsible for developing and approving the immersion models. … The School Districts, like all public and charter schools, are required to follow a model as approved by the State Board,” Cooper wrote.

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    401·
    9 months ago

    There is no law in America that say English (or any other language) is the official language…

    • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
      18·
      9 months ago

      The US has no official language, though some US states and territories do.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
        181·
        9 months ago

        I googled it for Arizona.

        They made English official in 1988, that was ruled unconstitutional…

        So they did it again in 2006.

        In 1988, Arizona voters narrowly passed a similar measure, 50 percent to 49 percent, but it called for all official government business to be conducted in English. It was struck down unanimously by the state Supreme Court because it interfered with access to government.

        https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/nov/08/20061108-115125-7910r/

        Now, my specialty is Bird Law, but I’m inclined to believe public schools count as government business

        So maybe this bullshit will remind someone they can sue over this

    • JakenVeina@lemm.eeEnglish
      21·
      9 months ago

      Apparently, there is in Arizona, since 2000, and no one’s sued to strike it down yet.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    271·
    9 months ago

    Many languages were spoken in Arizona before English. Spanish along with all of the indigenous ones.

    If they want English to be the only language of their state, maybe they should change the state’s name to either Small Spring or The Good Oak Tree.

    Edit: also, “phoenix” is a Greek word.

  • 🔰Hurling⚜️Durling🔱@lemmy.world
    3·
    9 months ago

    Can we not have a law that stops idiots like this biggot from opening their mouths?

    We need a advertising campaign where billboards are plastered all over the county and just say “English is not the official language of the United States of America”