Literacy is fundamental to many aspects of one’s private and public life, ranging from applying for better-paying jobs to writing to elected officials. But is literacy, or more specifically, the opportunity for literacy through public education, a fundamental right protected by the U.S. Constitution? That’s the question at the heart of a lawsuit recently brought to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals by a group of Detroit area students, who argue their poorly functioning school district has deprived their access to literacy.
The case, seen by many as an unprecedented attempt to establish that literacy is a constitutional right, was heard before a panel of three judges on Oct. 24 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dozens of students, parents, and the teachers from Detroit rallied outside the courthouse in support of the lawsuit.
