COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed an emergency motion on Wednesday in the state's Supreme Court, urging the court to grant immediate relief relating to the busing limitations put in place within the Columbus City School District.
The filing is the latest development in a lawsuit Yost filed earlier this month which looked to get CCS to resume busing for private and charter school students were were deemed "impractical" for the district to transport.
Yost's office said the emergency motion addresses one specific violation that needs immediate resolution. They add that this violation relates to the district refusing to transport student even after their families request mediation to challenge the initial decision not to provide transportation.
“Every day of inaction from Columbus Schools puts parents between a rock and a hard place,” Yost said. “Parents are being forced to quit their jobs, rearrange their lives and scramble for transportation, while the school board fails to meet its legal duties. This cannot wait – we need the court to act now.”
State law indicates that once a student challenges the decision, Columbus City Schools must immediately resume transportation for that student while their challenge is ongoing, Yost's office said.
The filing requests an immediate order that Columbus City School District provide transportation to any student who has requested mediation or requests mediation while the lawsuit is ongoing, at least until each student’s challenge is resolved.
Yost initially sent a cease-and-desist letter to the district on Sept. 3, warning that noncompliance would result in legal action. The district did not resume transportation, so the state sued two days later.
