Ask for Help – Filing or Appealing a Williams Complaint
The ACLU filed Williams v. California in 2000 to challenge inadequate conditions in California's public schools. The lawsuit concluded when the parties entered into a settlement (legal agreement) in 2004. The settlement, which was later incorporated into the law, requires that:
- All students have the proper books and materials
- All schools are clean and safe; and
- All students have qualified teachers.
Any person or organization may file a complaint (a "Williams complaint") to enforce these requirements. You can learn more about the Williams complaint process on the ACLU of Southern California website.
If you would like help filing a Williams complaint or appealing a complaint, you can submit a request for assistance from the ACLU SoCal using the form below. Please be sure to read about how the ACLU of Southern California accepts cases before filling out this form. Please note that we cannot respond to all inquiries, and it sometimes takes a significant amount of time for us to respond. Evaluation of complaints takes time, and because we have limited resources, we cannot assist with all complaints.