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Orange County Schools go to court to try to get Hungerford lawsuit dismissed

The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community as well as Bea Hatler, one of Robert Hungerford’s descendants, sued the district in July.
Florida Memory
The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community as well as Bea Hatler, one of Robert Hungerford’s descendants, sued the district in July.

The Orange County School district is in court Thursday, September 21 to ask a judge to throw out a lawsuit against the schools over the former Hungerford School.

The school was the first to educate Black students in Central Florida.

The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community as well as Bea Hatler, one of Robert Hungerford’s descendants, sued the district in July.

The plaintiffs claim that the district used the land that was formerly the Hungerford School, for purposes other than the education of Black children. That's a stipulation of the original land donation.

Orange County Schools don’t have any plans to return the land, which is deeded to them, to the township of Eatonville.

A developer pulled out of a deal to turn the site of the school into apartments earlier this year.

The hearing is expected to begin at 10:30 am at the Orange County Courthouse.

Read more about the fight to save the Hungerford School here.

Danielle Prieur is WMFE's education reporter.
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