Yesterday, hundreds of charter school advocates and supporters from Middletown and Danbury converged on the State Capitol to urge state lawmakers to approve the funding for charter schools in their respective communities and to take to the offense against what they described as a campaign of disinformation from their detractors.
One of Danbury's leading charter school supporters is State Representative Rachel Chaleski. At the rally, she used her speaking opportunity to forcefully counter what the state lawmaker described as misinformation and blatant lies from her political counterparts in the city.
"I also know what it's like to challenge the strong, often irrational, illogical, and sometimes very hurtful opposition to opening a small public school. The misinformation campaign has left our Danubry community divided and bruised, and yet here we are, still fighting to make a difference in the lives of our young people.
Our community deserves better than the political math and fear-mongering against education opportunities that have been successful in all other large cities across the state."
Here's video of State Rep Chaleski's comments in full.
04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school
06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Career Academy ‘a great deal for Danbury"
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.
Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.
Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.