A federal judge in Detroit on Thursday approved a settlement of a lawsuit that will mean up to 30,000 Flint children will be screened to determine whether they need health or special-education services.
U.S. District Judge Arnold Tarnow approved the settlement during a hearing in federal court, telling both sides it is a rare moment where a settlement is a "win-win" for all sides, said Ann Mullen, spokeswoman for the ACLU of Michigan.
As part of the settlement, the state of Michigan has agreed to pay $4.1 million toward the screening process.
It's a partial settlement of a federal lawsuit filed in September 2016 against the Michigan Department of Education, Flint Community Schools and the Genesee Intermediate School District.
The class-action, civil rights lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and the New Jersey-based Education Law Center on behalf of children and families in the city.
Remaining aspects of the lawsuit — including the plaintiffs' efforts to ensure that children actually receive the services they need — are still being litigated.
Mullen said the plaintiffs will proceed with preparing for trial.
But on Thursday, all was positive, she said.
"It was such a happy moment," Mullen said.
The state still needs legislative approval for the $4.1 million.
The lawsuit stemmed from the Flint water crisis, an 18-month period in which as many as 140,000 people were exposed to lead after the city's water supply was switched.
The settlement will allow children to be screened through the Flint Registry created by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, director of the MSU-Hurley Pediatric Public Health Initiative. Hanna-Attisha was instrumental in raising concerns about lead levels in children's blood after the water supply was switched.