Parents, city councilman, file lawsuit to open NYC schools

New York city councilman Joe Borelli of Staten Island, has teamed up with parents to file a lawsuit against the City of New York, demanding that public schools be reopened.

The announcement, made Saturday, comes after the filing of the suit in Manhattan's federal court on Friday night, according to the NY Post.

Mayor Bill de Blasio closed New York City schools, which were only partially operating anyway, with less than 24 hours notice. He announced the closure Wednesday, and the doors were locked to the 300,000 schoolchildren who had been attending part-time, in person learning, since the school system's delayed opening on Sept. 21.

Schools were closed per a deal between de Blasio and the teachers' union where schools remaining open was linked to a city wide Covid case count. There's a 3 percent infection rate in the city, so kids can't go to school.

Borelli said that "Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza have continued to fail our children time and time again. Even though they had six months to prepare for this school year, they failed to do so and our children are forced to pay the price."

"Remote learning has proven to be a failure and now they have taken the extra step of closing the schools completely. This is utterly irresponsible and unacceptable," Borelli said, echoing parents across the city.

One Brooklyn school teacher told The Post Millennial with regard to remote learning "we hate what we're doing," and that they would rather be in the classroom that on the screen.

The teachers unions are the ones demanding that kids forego an education due to their own fears and demands.

The attorneys representing the plaintiffs are Mark Fonte, Lou Gelormino and James Mermigis.

"Governor Cuomo said just two days ago that 'the infection rates in the schools are very low and the infections are not coming from the schools,'" Mermigis said.

While the schools closed because of the city's 3 percent case count, a dip under 3 percent will not trigger schools to reopen, de Blasio said.

New York City has the largest school system in the country, with 1,800 schools and 1.1 million students. The closures specifically affect lower income and minority New York children and families, as the private and parochial schools, many of which have annual tuition costs higher than $40,000, remain open to those who can afford them.