BALTIMORE — Baltimore Office of the Civil Rights Commission held an event Tuesday night to discuss education equity and inequity in the city. Part of the discussion included the closing of the Banneker Blake Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Officials are asking if the school closure is a violation of the students' civil rights. In November, Baltimore's school board voted to close the all boys public charter school in June, despite the school's strong academic record.
Some families say the school is a life changer for the students, who are mostly low income, black males.
"The school shouldn't close because young black males need education, role models and teachers that care about them and put in there all," said Trae Littlejohn, an eighth grader at the academy, "so they can do what they got to do and do good in life and not go down the wrong path."
The founders of the school say they will go to the state on June 24 to ask them to reverse the decision.
