Federal judge dismisses Lincoln Memorial Academy lawsuit, plaintiffs plan to appeal

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from the former leaders of Lincoln Memorial Academy against the School District of Manatee County, the city of Palmetto, and Florida Department of Education that claimed the district wrongfully terminated the academy's charter.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. Circuit Court in the Middle District of Florida in February 2020 over actions taken by the school district in 2019 to terminate the academy's charter, after claims made by former Lincoln Memorial Academy leaders failed to gain traction at other venues.

U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell dismissed most of the lawsuit, and closed the case on Dec. 30, months before it reached trial in October. She surmised that several drafts of the academy's complaint are regarded as "shotgun pleadings," a term used for a pleading that makes large general claims without much precision.

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"Ordinarily, the court would begin with a recitation of relevant facts," Honeywell wrote. "But this action’s painfully confusing development demands a different approach."

Plaintiffs claim the decision was made on procedural grounds, rather than the merits of the case. They have 30 days to appeal, and attorney Roderick Ford indicated plans are in place to do so.

"U.S. District Court Judge Honeywell's dismissal order is a gross miscarriage of justice, does not reflect either the letter or spirit of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and shall be appealed to the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals," he said in an emailed statement.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Federal judge dismisses Lincoln Memorial Academy lawsuit