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Connecticut Settles 30-Year-Old School Desegregation Case

Frankie Graziano
/
Connecticut Public Radio
Elizabeth Horton Sheff speaks to reporters outside the courthouse Friday after reaching a settlement with the state in the school desegregation case. With her are Attorney Martha Stone, Gov. Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong.

Connecticut has reached a milestone settlement agreement in the 30-year-old Sheff v. O’Neill Hartford school racial discrimination case.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont calls the agreement a big win for Connecticut. 

“We’ve taken a big legal cloud off our shoulders.”

Attorney General William Tong’s office brokered the deal. He says it substantially increases the number of seats available for Hartford students in magnet schools to help diversify the school system and also supports better quality neighborhood schools.

“I believe that today the people of Hartford, the people of this region, the people of this state won today, and the students of Hartford won today.”

Elizabeth Horton Sheff, who brought the case 30 years ago on behalf of her son Milo had a word of caution.

“We’ve come this far, but we are not there yet.”

That’s because the state has a two-and-a-half year window to implement the initial requirements of the agreement.

As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year.