Patterson Belknap Secures Victory for New Hampshire Educators in U.S. District Court
May, 2024 - New York, New York
On May 28, 2024, Patterson Belknap obtained a significant victory on behalf of our clients, the American Federation of Teachers – New Hampshire, as well as several educators, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire. The firm represented the AFT-NH in a case challenging the constitutionality of the state's so-called 'divisive concept' law, which banned certain concepts related to race and gender from being taught in classrooms. In its suit, AFT-NH argued that the law is "unconstitutionally vague" and "violates teachers' speech rights." The Court granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, ruling that state laws limiting school lessons on race and gender are unconstitutional. This is the first decision in the U.S. to overturn culture-based teaching restrictions and is a major legal victory for national teachers' unions, educators, and students.
To read AFT-NH's press release on the victory, please click here.
To read press coverage from Bloomberg and Politico, please click here and here.
