Association of Mexican-American Educators v. California

OPINION AND ORDER

To have the privilege of teaching in a public school in California, a person must pass a test in reading, writing, and mathematics known as the California Basic Educational Skills Test (“CBEST”), given by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (“CTC”). The CBEST was mandated by the California legislature in response to a public outeiy about the perceived incompetence of many public school teachers.

Plaintiffs, representing a class of minority would-be teachers consisting of African-Americans, Latinos, and Asians, bring this action against the State of California (“State”) and the CTC under Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, claiming that they are discriminated against by the insistence of defendants that they take and pass the CBEST before becoming public schoolteachers.

For the reasons set forth in this Opinion, which constitutes the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law as required by Rule 52(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Court rules in favor of defendants.

I.

Plaintiffs are the Association of Mexican-American Educators (“AMAE”), the California Association for Asian-Pacific Bilingual Education, the…