National Ass'n for Neighborhood Schools of Pittsburgh, Inc. v. Board of Public Education

90 F.R.D. 398, 33 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 380, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17981
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedMay 29, 1981
DocketCiv. A. No. 80-1242
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 90 F.R.D. 398 (National Ass'n for Neighborhood Schools of Pittsburgh, Inc. v. Board of Public Education) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National Ass'n for Neighborhood Schools of Pittsburgh, Inc. v. Board of Public Education, 90 F.R.D. 398, 33 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 380, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17981 (W.D. Pa. 1981).

Opinion

OPINION

ROSENBERG, District Judge.

This matter is presently before me on the motion of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) to intervene as a defendant, as a matter of right pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(aX2),1 in an action brought by the National Association for Neighborhood Schools (NANS) and four groups of parents of minor children attending the Pittsburgh Public Schools against the defendant, Board of Public Education of the School District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Board). The complaint was filed to enjoin the compulsory busing of children because it was “based solely upon race as implemented by defendant, pursuant to the Amended Pittsburgh Desegregation Plan.” This the plaintiffs assert was in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and the Civil Rights Acts.

An exhaustive hearing was held on the plaintiff’s motion (September 5, 1980) at which time the PHRC filed an amicus curiae brief as did an individual who had formerly been a school director. The PHRC sided with the Board and argued against the issuance of an injunction because it would interfere with the originally initiated busing promoted by the Board. This attitude by the PHRC was in contradiction to an attitude which it had held before for many months previous when it attempted by Commonwealth Court processes to prevent the school board from inaugurating its own busing plan because it differed from that recommended by the PHRC. The motion for a preliminary injunction was denied on September 18, 1980, for a lack of evidence of a constitutional basis and for the additional reason of laches. National Ass’n. Etc. v. Board of Ed., 497 F.Supp. 471 (W.D. Pa.1980). At the same time the plaintiffs and the defendant were instructed to proceed with discovery and pretrial processing in order to permit a final hearing in the case. Pretrial procedures were scheduled to close on February 20, 1981.

The PHRC’s motion seeks to intervene as a party defendant because it has the responsibility for enforcing the State’s mandate to eliminate racial segregation in the public schools2 and because of its interest “in obtaining a proper remedy for prior racially discriminatory educational practices is not adequately represented by the existing parties to this action.” Furthermore, the motion concerns itself with the possibility that a decision of this court may concern the assignment of students by race and as a practical matter impair or impede the commission’s ability to enforce its judicially approved desegregation order.3

Additionally, the proposed answer of the PHRC as an intervening defendant raises [400]*400the same defenses asserted by the Board and it raises an additional issue relating to the underlying concept and rationale of the Pittsburgh Amended Desegregation Plan, and whether the Board’s actions go far enough in advancing the plan contemplated by the PHRC.

While I do not repeat much that I have said in my opinion denying the preliminary injunction, I do keep in mind the history of the case as it relates between the PHRC and the Board. As already stated, the matter between the PHRC and the Board has been the subject of considerable litigation in Pennsylvania courts — and that subject should be left there.

In 1972, the Commonwealth Court directed five school districts, including Pittsburgh and Philadelphia School Districts, to submit desegregation plans and timetables in accordance with the PHRC’s 1968 guidelines (“Recommended Elements of a School Desegregation Plan”), Philadelphia School District v. Human Relations Commission, 6 Pa. Cmwlth. 281, 294 A.2d 410 (1972).

In 1973 the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania held that the PHRC had the power to order desegregation in schools where racial imbalance resulted from solely de facto segregation. Uniontown Area School District v. PHRC, 455 Pa. 52, 313 A.2d 156 (1973). During the period from 1973 through 1976 discussions between the Board and the PHRC regarding the “February 1973 Plan” were conducted by which the two parties attempted to agree on the various details of reorganization. By order dated January 13, 1977, the Commonwealth Court again directed the Board to “correct racial imbalance in its schools, in accordance with the law and the Commission’s guidelines”, and established a new timetable for implementation. In 1978 the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania affirmed the order of the Commonwealth Court with respect to the requirement of the Board to submit to the Commission a definitive plan to correct racial imbalance in its schools. Pa. Human Relations v. School Dist. Etc., supra.

In 1979 two plans were submitted by the Board which were both rejected by the PHRC. In April 1980, the Board filed a petition in the Commonwealth Court seeking declaratory relief to the effect that the Amended Pittsburgh Desegregation Plan (Amended Plan) was in compliance with the Commonwealth Court mandate. The PHRC filed an answer and sought to have the Board found in contempt of court. The instant plaintiffs sought to intervene in that case but were refused intervention.

On July 24, 1980, the PHRC applied to the Commonwealth Court to Stay the Implementation of the Amended Plan because it allegedly did not go far enough in eliminating racial imbalance. The Commonwealth Court denied that application 4 stating that a resolution of the merits of the Amended Plan as to whether it complies with the Order of Court of November 8, 1978 would probably not occur in that court until mid 1981, and that the earliest Pennsylvania Supreme Court disposition would appear to be in mid 1982, and therefore the status quo should not be frozen for three more years pending this resolution.

The issue regarding the viability and legality of the Amended Plan according to Pennsylvania law is presently before the Commonwealth Court with oral argument scheduled for June 2, 1981.5

The issue before this court in the original case between the plaintiffs and the defendant is unrelated to that in the Commonwealth Court and is simply a matter of whether this Federal court has jurisdiction on the issue as raised by the plaintiffs in this case. That issue is: Is busing unconstitutional?

The plaintiffs in this case demand that busing be abolished. In order to strengthen their desire to eliminate busing they presented certain circumstantial supports as to the need for busing pupils and in what racial relationship they were chosen from [401]*401which they assert arises the constitutional issue. While I have preliminarily held that busing is constitutional under Federal law, the matter remains open only for the purpose of determining whether the busing is constitutional or not within the capability of the plaintiffs to prove that it is unconstitutional.

If I should hold busing is constitutional, it cannot bear upon how the busing is to be arrived at or from what phases of society or locales it must be done. That still must remain within the discretionary powers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its delegated Boards, ás now being reviewed by the Pennsylvania courts.

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90 F.R.D. 398, 33 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 380, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17981, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-assn-for-neighborhood-schools-of-pittsburgh-inc-v-board-of-pawd-1981.