Educators Suing Arizona Superintendent, BOE Over Ban On Mexican-American Studies

CNN (10/20, Martinez, Gutierrez) reports that "eleven Tucson, Arizona, educators sued the state board of education and superintendent this week for what the teachers consider an "anti-Hispanic" ban looming on Mexican-American studies." State Superintendent of Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne defended the new law, which "authorizes the superintendent to stop any ethnic studies classes that 'promote the overthrow of the United States government ... promote resentment toward a race or class of people ... (or) advocate ethnic solidarity instead of treatment of pupils as individuals.'" Horne seeks to ban Mexican-American studies from schools in the state. In the lawsuit, "The 11 educators in Tucson's Mexican-American Studies Department are asking a federal judge to stay the new schools law," saying "it violates free speech, equal protection and due process."