In San Francisco, Virus is Contained but Schools Are Still Closed

[David Lockmiller]

Paul Scott — who has successfully sued the school district in the past for violating the Brown Act, California’s open meeting law, in its efforts to rename schools — demanded the school board rescind the resolution recognizing Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha in a letter to school board president Jenny Lam on Thursday.

Santiago Mejia/The San Francisco Chronicle, August 19, 2022

The lawyer that already sued the San Francisco school district over its renaming of schools is now threatening another lawsuit after the school board voted to make two Muslim holy days into school holidays.

Paul Scott demanded the school board rescind the resolution recognizing Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha in a letter to school board president Jenny Lam on Thursday.

San Francisco’s embattled school board has faced numerous lawsuits over the last two years. The district has been caught up in legal action over efforts to rename 44 schools, plans to cover up a historic mural, and its slow-moving plan to reopen schools. The litigation hasn’t helped the district’s difficult financial situation. As a result, officials have been forced to cover legal costs by dipping into funds intended for facility improvement. That spending is now under review by an official oversight committee.

Scott’s letter acknowledges the board’s “laudable objective of reducing discrimination against members of the Muslim community,” but argues the resolution violated the Brown Act because the notice did not make clear that the purpose of the August 9 hearing was to authorize two new school holidays based on their religious significance.