A lawsuit filed in Albany County Supreme Court is putting SUNY’s charter school approval process under a harsh spotlight, after state officials approved new schools that state education leaders had already rejected. New York State United Teachers, along with education and community partners, filed the case to challenge SUNY’s decision to authorize charter schools in Brentwood and Central Islip despite strong local opposition.
NYSUT President Melinda Person joined the lawsuit alongside educators and parents who belong to the Brentwood Teachers Association and the Central Islip Teachers Association. The New York State Board of Regents and the New York State Parent Teacher Association also filed affirmations backing NYSUT’s legal challenge.
The lawsuit argues that SUNY, its board of trustees, and the SUNY Charter Schools Institute approved applications that failed to meet basic requirements under state law. Those requirements include proof of community support and evidence that new charter schools would provide real educational benefits.
Parents, educators, and local leaders in both districts warned that more charter schools would strain already stressed public school systems. The State Education Department reviewed those concerns and rejected the applications. SUNY approved them anyway.
“SUNY Charter Schools Institute’s actions left us no alternative,” Person said. “This entity has repeatedly ignored state law by dismissing community voices and overriding education experts in order to rubber-stamp charter applications. That is an abuse of its authority as a charter authorizer and a threat to public schools and the communities they serve.”
NYSUT says the case highlights a broader problem with New York’s dual charter authorizing system. That system allows applicants rejected by the State Education Department to resubmit their proposals to SUNY without fixing the issues that led to the original rejection.
The legal action seeks to force accountability, enforce existing law, and protect the right of local communities to weigh in on decisions that shape their public schools.
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