Supreme Court of the United States Upholds Fourth Circuit’s Decision
It has been a long and winding road for female students and their parents at a North Carolina public charter school. The Supreme Court of the United States recently let stand the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit’s decision that Charter Day School (renamed Classical Charter Schools of Leland) must comply with constitutional requirements that apply to traditional public schools. The case involved a school uniform policy requiring girls to wear skirts as a condition of attendance.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the NC ACLU and Ellis & Winters LLP originally filed the suit on behalf of three Brunswick County students. They argued that the school’s policy of “skirts only” for girls limited the girls’ movement, made them uncomfortable in various weather conditions, limited them from playing freely at recess, and signaled that school administrators valued their education less than that of their male counterparts.
Jon Sasser, who has worked on the case for several years, said “This is a great day for charter school students. The federal courts at every level have now made clear that these students do not check their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse door.” In addition to handling constitutional cases, Jon has taken the reins in cases representing Fortune 500 companies in complex litigation including securities, antitrust, and intellectual property disputes.