Pastors enlist big gun on school closing

Attorney to explore civil rights concerns in Manual decision

Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 21, 2006 at midnight

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A group of black and Hispanic ministers has enlisted a prominent attorney to explore whether the Denver school board violated students' civil rights when it voted to shutter the predominantly minority Manual Educational Complex.

Attorney David Lane will speak about his investigation during a rally Sunday, members of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance and Confianza Ministerial Coalition said Thursday.

The Rev. James Peters said the investigation "absolutely" could lead to a federal lawsuit against the district, and could attract national attention from the likes of CNN and Oprah Winfrey.

"We believe (Lane) would not have agreed to investigate our concerns . . . if he had not seen a red flag," added the Rev. Paul Burleson.

But Lane, who has represented high-profile clients such as embattled University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill and Jay Bennish, the Overland High School teacher who blasted President Bush in a geography lecture, said it's too soon to tell if a lawsuit will be filed.

"At this point, I don't know," he said. "All I can do is investigate."

The school board voted in February to close Manual for one year and send students to five higher-performing DPS high schools. Manual would then reopen with a new freshman class in fall 2007.

Board members and Superintendent Michael Bennet have defended the vote, saying it would have been discriminatory instead to keep the low-performing school open.

Thursday, Bennet announced the creation of an advisory committee to oversee the redesign of Manual. Denver School Board President Theresa Peña and City Council member Elbra Wedgeworth, a Manual graduate, will chair the committee.

Bennet said the district expects a plan for the new Manual to be completed by fall, and a principal selected by Oct. 1. His academic adviser, Brad Jupp, also said Thursday that only nine Manual students have yet to pick their new high school for fall.

"Our ability to reach those students is within our grasp," he said.

One hundred fifty-one Manual students have chosen South High, followed by 93 at East, 66 at George Washington, 62 at North and 55 at Thomas Jefferson.

Jupp said 11 students have said they will leave DPS.

Also, Happy Haynes, Bennet's community liaison, reported that 372 Manual students have requested mentors to help them through the transition. She said 367 students have been matched with mentors, some two to a mentor, because more mentors are needed.

But Peters, who attended Thursday night's school board meeting, accused district leaders of having "your heads in the sand."

"You still think you're going to close Manual," he told them. "We are as determined to keep it open as you are to close it."

In an apparent reference to Lane's work, Peters added, "We're going to meet you in court, we're going to meet you on the sidewalk, we're going to meet you everywhere you go because we are determined Manual will not close."

He and other opponents say the closure decision - an abrupt change from the plan being publicly discussed - was disrespectful, and that the district should keep Manual open and put the resources into the school to make it successful.

They also called on residents across the city to join them at Sunday's event, dubbed a "Keep Manual High School Open Rally," warning them that their school could be next.

"If they can do it at Manual, they can do it anywhere," Burleson said.

The rally is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at New Hope Baptist Church, 3701 Colorado Blvd.

Where dispute stands

The Denver school board voted in February to close the low-performing Manual high school for one year and send students to five higher-performing DPS high schools. Attorney David Lane has beenasked to investigate whether students' civil rights have been violated because of the DPS decision.

9 Manual students have yet to pick their new high school for fall.

burnetts@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5343.

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