Charlotte Observer Covers COVID-19 Relief Lawsuit

The Charlotte Observer published an article covering the complaint that Robinson Bradshaw recently filed challenging the exclusion of low-income families from coronavirus relief payments by the state of North Carolina. The firm filed the suit pro bono on behalf of Legal Aid of North Carolina, the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy and several low-income families.

The $335 Extra Credit Grants are designed to help families with children offset costs related to remote learning and childcare, but the state’s administration of the program required families with incomes so low that they did not file a state tax return to apply for the aid, while middle- and high-income families received the aid automatically. The complaint argues that these requirements discriminatorily withhold the aid from the families that need it the most.  

“We don’t know if the legislature meant to make it more difficult for low-income families, or if there was just not enough attention paid to whether this application process would be effective. But there is a big hole, and we’re trying to make sure the money actually gets to those most in need,” Robinson Bradshaw attorney Adam Doerr said in the article.

The article, “NC Gives $335 to Parents During COVID-19 – But Poorest Families Miss Out, New Lawsuit Says,” is available here.

For inquiries about the North Carolina Extra Credit Grants lawsuit, please click here.