Stanford University academics can now testify in a November trial relating to COVID remote learning loss, particularly for racial minorities and low-income families, after California officials dropped their sanctions.
The California Department of Education originally told Professor Thomas Dee that his planned testimony would be a breach of his contract as it related to data sharing and access to a state system. Professor Sean Reardon was also going to testify but the CDE threatened him with a similar breach of contract charge and withdrew his testimony.
However, the state has since dropped its efforts. “The reason they pulled back wasn’t that they suddenly read the First Amendment,” attorney Mark Rosenbaum told the media. He is representing plaintiffs in the learning loss lawsuit, called Cayla J. v. California. “It’s because they knew they were gonna lose,” Rosenbaum said.
