Local Mom Makes National Headlines With Lawsuit Against JCPS

By Janelle MacDonald

(LOUISVILLE) -- It's a case that could change how school systems try and diversify their student populations. "Meredith v. the Jefferson County Board of Education" is scheduled to go before the U.S. Supreme Court in early December. The case challenges JCPS's policy of ensuring each school has between 15 and 50 percent African American enrollment. The "Meredith" in that case is Crystal Meredith, who spoke publicly about the case for the first time with our Janelle MacDonald.

Meredith says she actually became a part of this case by chance when she happened to mention her son was denied admission to a JCPS school to her attorney, who was representing her on another matter.

Meredith, a single mother, says she doesn't want to be in the spotlight, but she reluctantly agreed to do a few interviews to tell her side of this story.

"It actually all just happened without me knowing what was going on," Meredith says.

Meredith has received national media attention, and become the face for parents opposed to Jefferson County's attempts at racial diversity.

But she says she never meant for any of that to happen -- for her, it always been about one thing: her child.

Meredith's fight started in 2002, when her son, Joshua, was a student at Whitney Young Elementary School. At the time, she says "he just wasn't being challenged, and when I talked to the teacher, she tried the best that she could, but, you know, all schools just have a different style."

Meredith requested a transfer to Bloom Elementary -- two blocks from her home in the Highlands, and miles away from Whitney Young, which is the west end.

"We could walk to Bloom," Meredith says, adding: "There was not even a bus stop to go to Whitney Young, so I had to drive him to school every day."

The request for a transfer was denied in a letter from JCPS saying Josh's enrollment would keep the school from complying with the system's policy of 15 to 50 percent African American enrollment.

"I was surprised that race would have anything to do with the educational success of a child," Meredith says.

Despite criticism, Meredith says this has never been about race for her. "I wanted him to go to a school that I thought he could excel at, and he was denied because of race. That was the only place race ever came into it. So I'm shocked that people think it is a race issue."

She says she's not even sure what she hopes will happen when the case goes before the nation's highest court, but at least hopes her fight has made a difference in her son's education.

"I want them to know that I'm fighting for the rights of my child and every child and every parent that wants the best for their children."

Meredith's lawyer was present during our interview, and she asked not to get into personal information and didn't really want to talk very much about specifics on her son. That's because she's gotten hate mail and threats.

JCPS officials say Meredith did not go through proper channels to appeal her son's school assignment, and that the majority of students get their first or second choice schools under the current system.

In addition, officials say that ending the policy could end diverse classrooms in public schools in Jefferson County.

"We do know that racial diversity and academic achievement are related to one another, and that all of our children will have better education as a result of keeping our schools desegregated," said Pat Todd with JCPS.

Todd says the school system has surveys showing most parents are satisfied with the current system.

Online Reporter: Janelle MacDonald

Online Producer: Michael Dever