NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 6, 2020) – Today Nashville Mayor John Cooper is expected to announce a lawsuit aimed at blocking a new program that provides scholarships to students from low-income families. In response, attorneys at the Liberty Justice Center, a national Supreme Court-winning law firm, are preparing legal action on behalf of families planning to use the program.
“Every child deserves a high-quality education, no matter how much money their parents make. This program opens the doors of opportunity for thousands of children to experience the transformative power of learning right here, right now,” said Patrick Hughes, president and co-founder of the Liberty Justice Center. “We won’t let Mayor Cooper bar the schoolhouse door with this heartless lawsuit. We are ready to defend these families and ensure they can access the scholarships they so desperately need as soon as possible.”
BACKGROUND: In 2019, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a law that provides scholarships of approximately $7,000 to children from low-income families in the Nashville and Memphis metro areas. Families can use these scholarships to attend a school of their choice that fits their unique learning needs. This program is the first of its kind exclusively for low-income families in Tennessee. This type of program has proven effective and critical in other parts of the country, including Wisconsin, Florida, Ohio, Arizona, Nevada and Washington D.C., among other areas.
The Liberty Justice Center represents parents and reform advocates in legal cases that expand educational freedom for families. It works to ensure every child has access to a great education and can attend a school that is the right fit for them. It regularly represents families across the country who face obstacles to exercising educational choice. The Center recently filed a brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of Montana’s tax-credit scholarship program.