By Editor’s note: This story was updated at 4:21 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19 to adjust the headline for coherence.
Rats infested the school, mold grew on the walls, restrooms were either in disrepair or locked altogether, students did not have access to learning materials and teachers lacked proper training.
These were the conditions of many schools in predominantly low-income and diverse communities before the Williams v. California class action lawsuit headed by students in 2000.
The lawsuit named after Eliezer Williams, a then middle school student from San Francisco, was filed to improve conditions at underfunded public schools.
Mark Rosenbaum, the lead attorney, spoke about the case along with former students involved with the lawsuit, including Bích Ngoc Cao, Abraham Osuna and Beatriz Lizarraga, during a panel discussion in the Karl Anatol Center on Thursday, March 13, to emphasize the importance of student activism and agency.
When Rosenbaum and the students tried to settle for textbooks, the opposing counsel told Rosenbaum, “What difference does it make? They can’t read anyway.”
Instead, Rosenbaum settled for nearly $1 billion to ensure students have textbooks, safe campuses and qualified teachers.
Lluliana Alonso, an assistant professor of liberal studies at Long Beach State, said the uniform complaint system also began due to the Williams case.
She said the system now forces California to respond to complaints made by students or parents within 30 days.
But the journey was arduous. During the lawsuit, Cao said students were being intimidated.
“What does this rat have to do with your education?” she was asked.
She said people tried to get them to say conditions were not bad and admit they were making frivolous complaints.
Lizarraga said now that schools have been supplied, efforts need to go into social change.
“The richest person in the world is destroying education. Why are you doing this to these kids, these families, these communities?” Rosenbaum said. “Destroying public education ensures minorities won’t be part of a larger community and keeps them from achieving their dreams or being organized and them out of democracy.”
Alonso, who herself fought for the Williams case as a student, said there is always hope, even during current agendas pushing for the dismantling and defunding of education.
Her involvement in the Williams case stemmed from her anger and refusal to normalize the substandard treatment she received.
“That experience inspired me to go into education as an adult, but I wouldn’t have considered getting a PhD if not for my mentors,” Alonso said, “It did take a while for me to believe that I could go to UCLA, and I could get a PhD.”
Alonso said they have a lot on their shoulders, but CSULB’s College of Education supports them.
To the audience of education majors, Cao said teachers are the heroes of society because there is no profession more noble than teaching the future generation.
