Opinion ID: 594417
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Board's Neighborhood School Letter

Text: 11 The NAACP argues that the Board violated the terms of the CSA by sending a letter to all elementary school students in early 1991 assigning each student, at least preliminarily, to his or her neighborhood school for the 1991-92 school year. The NAACP argues that this letter violated the Board's duty under the consent agreement to not guarantee to any student living in, or moving into, the assigned attendance area of such school that (s)he shall be assigned to or permitted to attend such school. CSA, p 14(c). 12 The district court held that although it found the possible existence of the letter somewhat disturbing, it did not constitute grounds for relief. In explaining its decision, the district court first noted that the NAACP did not submit a copy of the letter with its motion or supporting memorandum. Although we do not doubt the truth of this observation, it sheds no light on whether the court believed that such a letter was in fact sent to the district's students. Because the Board did not specifically deny the existence of this letter, 7 the court could reasonably have found that the letter was sent even in the absence of a copy of the letter before it. We cannot meaningfully review the legal effect such a letter would have under the CSA without a factual finding in this regard. See Keefe v. Bahama Cruise Line, Inc., 867 F.2d 1318, 1322-23 (11th Cir.1989) (remanding case for additional fact-finding where the application of the legal standard required factual findings missing from the district court's opinion); Hydrospace-Challenger, Inc. v. Tracor/Mas, Inc., 520 F.2d 1030, 1034 (5th Cir.1975) (factual findings must be stated with sufficient particularity to allow appellate court to determine rather than speculate that the law was applied correctly). 13 The district court proceeded to base its denial of relief on that grounds that (1) it was unclear whether such letter would violate the terms of the stipulation, and (2) the district court presumed the Board would carry out the agreement in good faith. The district court is correct in concluding that it is unclear whether such letter would violate the terms of the stipulation in light of the district court's failure to make any factual findings regarding the existence or contents of the letter. Whether the letter constituted a guarantee, and therefore a violation of the agreement, will of course depend on the precise language of the letter. Cf. Interstate Industries, Inc. v. Barclay Industries, Inc., 540 F.2d 868, 871-73 (7th Cir.1976) (considering whether letter constituted contract offer); Eulo v. Deval Aerodynamics, Inc., 430 F.2d 325, 327-28 (3d Cir.1970) (considering whether letter constituted a release of party's contract obligations), cert. denied, 401 U.S. 974, 91 S.Ct. 1191, 28 L.Ed.2d 323 (1971). This language must be established through factual findings which the district court declined to make. If the Board did in fact violate the agreement by issuing what was in effect a guarantee of neighborhood school attendance, the Board's good faith is irrelevant. Newman v. Graddick, 740 F.2d 1513, 1528 (11th Cir.1984). On the other hand, even if the letter (assuming it existed) did not guarantee children attendance at a particular school, the NAACP's allegations about the contents of the letter, if proven, are sufficient to bring into question the Board's good faith in carrying out its obligations under the CSA. See Illinois Corp. Travel, Inc. v. American Airlines, Inc., 682 F.Supp. 378, 380 (N.D.Ill.1988), aff'd, 889 F.2d 751 (7th Cir.1989), cert. denied, 495 U.S. 919, 110 S.Ct. 1948, 109 L.Ed.2d 311 (1990); Restatement (Second) of Contracts § 205 (1981). We remand the issue of whether the Board violated the terms of the agreement by sending out such a letter for further proceedings. On remand, the NAACP should be given the opportunity to produce the letter, and the Board should be allowed to specifically respond to the NAACP's charges that such a letter was mailed out to the district's students. 8