Hartford's attorneys argue for dismissal of Aleysha Ortiz lawsuit (August 11, 2025)
ctmirror.org

... Attorneys for the Hartford Board of Education, a Hartford special education teacher and the City of Hartford argued before a Superior Court judge on Monday that claims by a former student that she was bullied and harassed by staff in the school district, including by her special education case manager, should be dismissed.

The student, Aleysha Ortiz, graduated from Hartford Public Schools last year despite never learning to read or write. Last summer, she spoke to The Connecticut Mirror about her time in the school district, which she entered when she was 6 years old.

Shortly after her story went public, Ortiz filed her lawsuit.

The lawsuit, however, doesn't seek damages related to her educational attainment.

Rather, it focuses on the emotional harm that was allegedly done to Ortiz during her years in the Hartford school district, including by case manager Tilda Santiago. ...

Connecticut's zoning laws a focus in racial equity debate (2021)
apnews.com

... "People can see with their own eyes that segregation exists in Connecticut and oftentimes they don't know why. And zoning is one of the reasons why," said Sara Bronin, the law professor at the University of Connecticut and Yale University. "It goes to the very core of the opportunities that families have to live in integrated communities and to have the opportunities that they need to thrive."

The nation's racial reckoning has generated momentum to make it easier for people to live wherever they want in the state, where Democrats control the state legislature, but there's been some resistance, especially from residents and leaders of smaller and often wealthy communities.

At recent hearings on housing-related legislation, opponents have argued that proposed zoning changes from the state could end local decision-making of zoning matters and that a one-size-fits all approach won't work in a state with 169 unique cities and towns, many of which have plans to increase affordable housing opportunities.

"When we moved here over 25 years ago, one of the things that brought us here was the character of the community, the small town feel that we have here," said Erin Hedley, a resident of New Canaan, during an online public hearing where she testified against a bill that would eliminate some public hearing requirements for accessory dwelling units, such as in-law apartments. ...

New Canaan, CT - Demographics
en.wikipedia.org

... The racial makeup of the town was 95.27% White, 1.04% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.29% Asian, 0.39% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.74% of the population. ...

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