The Tucson Unified School District voted late Tuesday to suspend its controversial Mexican American studies program rather than lose more than $14 million in funding after Arizona's state schools chief ruled the program violated the law.
During a raucous session that included passionate public comments and accusations of cowardice, the board voted 4-1 to suspend the classes. If it had not, the district would have lost about $5 million in state funding in February, retroactive to last August, and $14.4 million over the fiscal year, according to the state Department of Education.
