Philly schools' legal bills for camera cases top $2 million

The Philadelphia School District has spent more than $2 million to defend itself in lawsuits resulting from a $7.5 million no-bid contract for school surveillance cameras.

The amount covers district payments to outside lawyers in connection with four suits and brings the total cost of the fallout from the contract, including damages, to nearly $6.4 million.

The suits were filed after the Inquirer reported in November 2010 that Superintendent Arlene C. Ackerman had pushed aside a Bucks County company that had begun preliminary work on the emergency contract to install the cameras, and directed that the contract be awarded to a small, minority-owned firm instead.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20161229__Philly_schools__legal_bills_top__2_million_for_camera_cases.html