Judge dismissed lawsuit over suburban schools

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed to stop six Memphis suburbs from starting their own public school systems.

The Commercial Appeal (http://bit.ly/1luldvl) reports the judge issued the order at the close of business on Monday after reviewing an agreement reached between the Shelby County Schools Board and the six municipalities. U.S. District Judge Samuel Mays said after reviewing the terms of the agreement, he found it “reasonable.”

The newspaper reports the ruling ends the legal battle over education in Shelby County that began when the lawsuit was filed in 2012.

The suit was initiated when the suburbs decided to break away from a merger between Memphis City Schools and the Shelby County school district and start individual school systems.