Massachusetts Families Sue Literacy Experts Over Allegedly Deficient Reading Curriculums

The lawsuit accuses Lucy Calkins, Irene Fountas, Gay Su Pinnell, and their publishers of deceptive marketing and ignoring established reading science.

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.