Case: USA v. Waterbury Board of Education
3:69-cv-13465 | U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut
Filed Date: 1969
Closed Date: May 22, 2026
Clearinghouse coding complete
Case Summary
In 1969, the United States filed this school desegregation lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut against the Board of Education of Waterbury, Connecticut, alleging that the Waterbury school district denied Black and Puerto Rican students access to equal educational opportunities and failed to eliminate the segregation of elementary schools. The operative consent decree in this case, entered on June 7, 1973, required the district to implement a student assignment plan for elementary students and to offer programming for non-English speaking students.
The case lasted for decades; we are continuing to research what happened from 1973 to 2025.
In November 2025, the United States initiated a case review and decided that the district had fulfilled its obligations under the court's orders and the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, on May 12, 2026, it moved, jointly with the district, for declaration of unitary status and dismissal. In support of the motion, and to show that the district had achieved unitary status warranting termination of judicial supervision, the parties asserted that the district's schools were not racially identifiable and that it had developed and maintained English-as-a-Second-Language services as well as bilingual programming at every level.
The court granted the parties' joint motion on May 22, 2026, dissolving all injunctions and orders and dismissing the case with prejudice. This case is now closed.
Summary Authors
Clearinghouse (10/12/2026)
People
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/21971926/parties/usa-v-waterbury-board-of-e/
Burns, Ellen Bree (Connecticut)
Griffin, Nancy L. (Connecticut)
Yeh, Teresa (Connecticut)
Documents in the Clearinghouse
Docket
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/21971926/usa-v-waterbury-board-of-e/
Last updated Oct. 12, 2026, 5:54 p.m.
Docket for: USA v. Waterbury Board Of E
Case Details
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Reversing Course on Existing Litigation
Key Dates
Filing Date: 1969
Closing Date: May 22, 2026
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
U.S. Department of Justice
Plaintiff Type(s):
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Attorney Organizations:
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
City
Waterbury Board of Education
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Ex Parte Young (Federal) or Bivens
Constitutional Clause(s):
Other Dockets:
District of Connecticut 3:69-cv-13465
Available Documents:
Outcome
Relief Granted:
Content of Injunction:
Comply with advertising/recruiting requirements
Order Duration: 1973 - 2026
Issues
Discrimination Basis:
Affected Language(s):
Affected National Origin/Ethnicity(s):
Affected Race(s):
Case Summary of USA v. Waterbury Board of Education, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/13768/ (last updated 10/12/2026).