Sheff vs. O'Neill

  • Sheff case begins

    Elizabeth Horton Sheff filed a lawsuit against then Governor William O'Neill demanding educational equatity for all Hartford students.
  • Superior court trial 6 years later

    Superior Court Judge Harry Hammer states that government officials are not obligated to remedy educational inequalties regardless of how they occurred
  • Sheff goes to the Connecticut Supreme Court

    The Connecticut Supreme Court overturned Judge Hammer's decision and states that racial segregation of Hartford school students violates Connecticut law and charges that then Governor John Rowland has to resolve these issues.
  • First settlement of the Sheff case

    As part of the settlement the Connecticut state Government agrees to plan for 8 new racially integrated Magnet schools in the Hartford area.
  • Sheff returns to court

    Sheff plaintiffs argue that the 2003 agreement was violated as the state did not fill the Magnet Schools according to the courts agreement.
  • Progress on Sheff agreement

    The state of Connecticut has created 22 interdistrict Magnet Schools and over 1,000 Hartford minority students were attending suburban schools however, the state failed to meet the 2003 agreement of having 30% of Hartford minority students attend suburban schools.
  • New agreement in Sheff vs. O'Neill

    New settlement agreement covers a time span to 2013 and includes expansion of integrated education and by 2012-2013 school year the goal is to increase integrated student placement to 41%.
  • 20th anniversary of Sheff vs. O'Neill

    Over 20 Magnet Schools have opened in the Hartford area and 17 of them comply with the Sheff agreement which means there is 75% or less minority students. More suburban students are applying to the Hartford magnet schools, about 12% of the over 1,000 suburban aplicants are white.
  • Sheff Movement in 2011

    As the Sheff movement progressed there are more than 10,000 students participating in the schoool integration programs,
    more than 30 school districts that have integrated their schools
    29 Magnet schools have opened and
    29% of Hartford's minority students are learning in an integrated setting.