Fight over in-person summer school in Detroit heads to court

Lawsuit says it's unsafe due to virus while superintendent defends decision to resume in-person classes

DETROIT – After days of protests that ended in arrests on Thursday, the fight over in-person summer classes in Detroit is headed to court.

UPDATE -- July 21, 2020: Judge: Detroit’s in-person summer school classes can continue with virus testing

A decision Friday, if it’s made, could stop summer school in Detroit amid the coronavirus pandemic. The judge in this case heard it briefly on Thursday and denied a temporary restraining order. On Friday, the judge will hear the full lawsuit.



Protesters blocked school buses at bus yards on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Detroit police moved in on Thursday and arrested 11 people after warnings to disperse.

Summer school in the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) began Monday. A lawsuit has been filed by parents, teachers, students and By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) against the district. It seeks to sop summer school.

“There are students in those schools that are being exposed to the virus to take home to their parents and their grandparents. There are teachers in that school who are exposed to the virus to take home to their sons and their daughters, and neighbors. No. This needs to come to a halt now,” said an attorney representing the group.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the district is following all CDC guidelines and stresses summer school is completely voluntary.

“For a lot of our parents, they need us. Children aren’t learning at home. Our children need structure, they need activities, they need goals. They need to interact with one another. COVID is not going away, and right now we’re on a path to go back to school and this is what that looks like.”

A written decision by the judge should be expected over the next few days.

Read more: What the new school year will look like for Detroit public schools


About the Author:

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.