LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Editor's note: The above video aired on Sept. 23, 2024.
Lawyers for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and some parents with Black students who recently lost transportation have asked for another 30-day pause to a federal lawsuit.
The lawsuit had already been paused for the first 60 days of the school year, as JCPS tried to add more bus drivers to remedy the parent's complaints.
In a new filing Monday, JCPS lawyer Byron Leet and attorney Teddy Gordon, who's representing the parents, submitted a joint motion asking for another 30-day pause. The motion said, "The process of certifying drivers leased from TARC has proven to be slower than originally hoped."
Gordon and a group of parents sued the district federally in July saying the district's April 10 decision to cut bus transportation to most magnet and traditional schools due to the bus driver shortage disproportionately impacted families of color.
The parties agreed to pause the lawsuit for the first 60 days of school to give JCPS time to certify former city bus drivers from Transit Authority River City (TARC) to restore some of the magnet and traditional routes. The district said in September that 24 out of 60 drivers it needed had been certified.
The district said its primary goal is to return bus transportation to Male High School, duPont Manual High School and Whitney Young Elementary. The parents suing the district have students who attend those schools.
The parties argued their case before a judge on a temporary restraining order on Aug. 2. If the parents were to be successful, the district may have to revert to its 2023-24 bus routes, which experienced a myriad of issues.
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