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Students of color sue school district over expulsions

A group of students filed a class-action lawsuit against the Berkeley, CA, school district from which they claim they were expelled without notice or a hearing. The suit, filed Friday at the US District Court in Oakland, claims the district violated the rights of Latino and African American students who were arbitrarily reassigned to "alternative" schools without sufficient notice or a chance to appeal their case. According to the lawsuit, one plaintiff, Juan Munoz, was told he could not return to school, "because he wore red clothing to school," reported the San Francisco Gate . During the 2002-03 academic year, the suit claims, about 55 students facing expulsion did not receive an opportunity to plead their case. [ more ]