Melanie Dubis was quoted in The News & Observer, WUNC, WRAL, EdNC, and other media outlets’ coverage of the North Carolina Supreme Court hearing arguments in the Leandro case. It is a long-running lawsuit that established a constitutional right to a sound basic education for all public school students in North Carolina. Melanie is the lead counsel for the plaintiff school districts.
The Supreme Court in 2022 ordered the state to follow, and fund, a Comprehensive Remedial Plan all the parties had previously agreed to. After a change in the composition of the Supreme Court, the justices agreed to hear new arguments related to that 2022 ruling.
"It has been the rule of this court for over 100 years that the court will not disturb its prior holding in the same case, even if it would have overturned that holding on a properly presented petition for rehearing," Melanie told the justices at oral argument, noting there was no such petition in this case.
Melanie also emphasized data showing that the state is not meeting its constitutional duty for hundreds of thousands of students "who will become the third generation of children since this lawsuit was filed to pass through our state school system without the benefit of relief — if this court takes away from them the relief that it finally delivered 14 months ago."
You can click the links below to read coverage of the oral arguments: