Back-to School Victory for Families: Saugus Ends Discriminatory School Enrollment Policy After Legal/Civil Rights Challenge
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2025
Under sustained legal pressure, Saugus Public Schools has revised its student admissions policy to eliminate provisions that unlawfully limited access to public education for immigrant families and other vulnerable students. This move marks a major victory for families and follows coordinated advocacy by Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) and Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC), strategic litigation by Anderson & Kreiger LLP, and oversight from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO).
In 2023, Saugus Public Schools adopted an admissions policy requiring families to complete the town census before enrolling their children. LCR and MAC raised urgent concerns that the policy violated state and federal civil rights laws by imposing unreasonable burdens that disproportionately affected immigrant families, mixed-status families, and those living in non-traditional housing. To investigate the policy’s implementation, Anderson & Kreiger LLP filed a public records lawsuit on behalf of LCR and MAC. The groups also called upon the AGO to launch a civil rights investigation under its enforcement authority.
In response to this advocacy, the Saugus School Committee has now revised its policy to eliminate the town census requirement. The new, compliant policy is in effect for the 2025-2026 school year.
“Removing these barriers is a critical step toward ensuring that all children in Massachusetts have equal educational opportunity,” said Erika Richmond Walton, an attorney with LCR. “This sends a strong message that discriminatory enrollment policies have no place in Massachusetts schools. We will keep monitoring to ensure every family can enroll without fear or unnecessary hurdles.”
Diana Santiago, Legal Director at Massachusetts Advocates for Children, stated: “No child should be denied the opportunity to learn simply because of their family’s immigration status or living situation. We will keep fighting to protect the rights of all students across the Commonwealth.”
“We are grateful to contribute to LCR and MAC’s efforts to ensure transparency around this important issue, and to help protect all school-aged children’s access to a public education,” said Christina Marshall, Partner at Anderson & Kreiger LLP.
LCR and MAC extend their appreciation to the AGO (including Elizabeth Matos, Chief of the Civil Rights Division, Liza Hirsch, Director of the Children’s Justice Unit, and Trini Gao, Assistant Attorney General) for their partnership in bringing Saugus Public Schools into compliance with the law.
Earlier this year, the AGO also issued helpful guidance, together with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), that specifically forbids school districts from requiring compliance with a town census as condition for school enrollment.
LCR and MAC will continue reviewing enrollment policies across Massachusetts to ensure compliance with civil rights laws. Families who believe they have been denied enrollment or faced unreasonable documentation requests are encouraged to contact our offices.
PRESS CONTACTS:
LCR: Erika Richmond Walton, (919) 808-2738, erichmond@lawyersforcivilrights.org
MAC: Aimee Sung, Director of Development and Communications, (617) 874-5362, asung@massadvocates.org