At an April 4th hearing Chief Judge Kane officially approved the Settlement Agreement in the Law Center’s class action suit against the Lebanon School District.

After short testimony by both sides, the Judge presented her ruling, commending the attorneys from Pepper Hamilton LLP for their involvement in the case and for ensuring through their pro bono work that this important case, which affects many families in need, was able to be heard before the court.

One of the named plaintiffs and a representative from the NAACP who was present at the hearing noted that the agreement is a significant achievement for the community and will allow affected families of students in the District who may be struggling financially to use the recuperated money on much-needed supports such as payments for health insurance or the purchase of food.

The Law Center’s successful work in halting the district’s abusive fines policy in combination with the approved Settlement Agreement will save parents of students in the Lebanon School District over $430,000 in fines including $108,000 in repayment to class members who already paid excessive fees. Class members have six months to submit claims for repayments and are being made aware of the repayment as part of the settlement.