A Southgate school has made changes after the American Civil Liberties Union-Michigan warned it may be breaking the law in its student application process.
The ACLU sent a letter to the Creative Montessori Academy this week demanding that it revise its online enrollment process. The civil rights group says the school was potentially violating the constitutional rights of undocumented school-age children.
ACLU immigration rights attorney Abril Valdes says, specifically, the school required parents to provide immigration status and a Michigan driver’s license.
She says it’s something they’ve seen other schools do as well.
“This is not necessarily common but it does happen more than we know and more than it’s publicized,” says Valdes.
School officials acted quickly after receiving the ACLU letter.
Area Superintendent Laura Moellering says they were unaware of the issues with the online form that prompted the complaint.
She hopes the changes will show the academy is a "welcoming school."
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