Overview

• The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts, claims that the defendants knowingly marketed reading curriculums that omitted phonics-based instruction, harming children’s literacy development.
• Plaintiffs, two families, allege financial losses and emotional injuries due to reliance on flawed reading materials in public schools, leading to costly private tutoring and schooling.
• The case seeks class action status to represent all Massachusetts K-3 students impacted since 2020, as well as compensatory damages and free access to science-based reading curriculums.
• Critics argue the curriculums promoted discredited methods like 'three-cueing,' while the defendants have previously denied wrongdoing and defended their products.
• This lawsuit is seen as a first-of-its-kind consumer protection case targeting educational materials, potentially setting a precedent for similar lawsuits nationwide.