Evanston/Skokie School District 65 announced Friday afternoon there will be no classes on Monday and Tuesday this week. Students will return to school Nov. 29 following Fall Break, Superintendent Devon Horton said in a letter to the community. The announcement comes in light of district staff shortages. The district used to have the capacity to.
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 is facing a lawsuit due to its antiracist programming, which a teacher in the district said violates her constitutional rights.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court Tuesday on behalf of drama teacher Stacy Deemar by the Southeastern Legal Foundation. Deemar, who has worked for the district for nearly two decades, alleged that the district has treated both students and employees differently based on race.
Deemar cites the district’s implementation of antiracist training for teachers, beginning in 2017, as well as the inclusion of similar values in district-wide curriculum, as examples of division and race-based harm found throughout the district.