McKeesport school officials address suit

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

McKeesport Area School District administrators claimed during a press conference Tuesday that they didn’t stand in the way of creating a black student union on the high school/middle school campus.

Eleven students from McKeesport Area High School and their parents filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the district on April 10. 

The students, who are represented by American Civil Liberties Union attorney Sara Rose and ACLU of Pennsylvania legal Director Witold J. Walczack, allege that the district has “consistently” been denying the students permission to form the McKeesport Black Student Union, which would be open to all students in grades 6 through 12 and would take on issues involving race and the treatment of students of color in the district, according previous statements from the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

Superintendent Dr. Mark Holtzman and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tia Wanzo alleged Tuesday that the MBSU charter proposal wasn’t initiated by students, charging that its creation has repeatedly been requested by someone they both refused to name.

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