The lawsuit was filed Monday on behalf of students in the Halifax County School System and claims the maintenance of three separate systems obstructs Halifax County's students from securing the opportunity to receive a sound, basic education.

It asks the court to conclude the same maintenance of three districts denies at-risk students the opportunity to receive a sound, basic education. It also asks the court to develop and implement a plan to remedy perceived Constitutional violations of its present education delivery mechanism and to ensure every student in Halifax County is provided the opportunity to receive a sound, basic education.

Hinton said in her response she had not read the complaint, “But with my limited knowledge of the actual complaint most likely the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will assign another judge to preside over the case.”

Hinton said she was not aware of any motions regarding a change of venue in the case and was not in a position to offer an opinion on whether this case could set a precedent for other three-school districts within the state.

Meanwhile, Tuesday, Halifax County Board of Commissioners Chairman Vernon Bryant said the board will come out with a statement regarding the lawsuit after its September 8 meeting.

The Education NC website reported at a press conference in Halifax Tuesday, representatives of the Coalition for Education and Economic Security and the Halifax County Chapter of the NAACP believe only commissioners have the power to unify the districts, and that commissioners have been ignoring their responsibilities.

“Everyday our children are waking up in this county, they are still being sent out to schools that are very inadequate,” said Rebecca Copeland of the coalition.

She added later, “They act as though they don’t understand they are responsible for the education of all students.”

The website reported David Harvey, president of the county chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said, “You have elected people who want to keep us in the Jim Crow era forever in Halifax County.”

Harvey said the timing of the lawsuit had nothing to do with a recent announcement from the State Board of Education it would be pursuing further interventions in Halifax Schools.

Said Copeland: “The truth is the turnaround plan by DPI was an attempt to cover the bodies. When DPI could not move the needle with regard to educational improvement, it turned its tact to the local school board.”

EdNC reported the Reverend William Barber, state NAACP president, said Halifax County is still segregated despite the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown versus Board of Education in 1954. “This should have all been dealt with 61 years ago,” he said. “This town is 61 years behind history.”