About Us.

​Independent attorneys Matthew Campbell and Luther Sutter lead a coalition of lawyers who pursue both procedural and meritorious claims against the mismanagement of public schools in Arkansas. The Education Defense League raises money to pay for their work.

Established in 2019

 The Education Defense League is a public-benefit corporation operated by Elizabeth Lyon-Ballay and Alex Handfinger. EDLA raises money to pay plaintiffs' legal fees in litigation that challenges the mismanagement of public education by the Arkansas State Board of Education. Participating attorneys work on Education Defense cases at their own, negotiated rates, in a coordinated effort to protect whistleblowers and amplify teachers' voices whenever they defend students' rights.

Our Mission

Phase One - A procedural challenge. Success in this first phase would stop the LRSD Community Advisory Board and the State Board of Education from further damaging the public trust.

Phase Two - Litigating three types of meritorious claims: Staff disciplined for their protected speech, staff harmed by retaliatory behavior, and children harmed by state mismanagement.

Our Team

Elizabeth Lyon-Ballay
Mission Coordinator

A former teacher, Elizabeth Lyon-Ballay now publishes the blog "Orchestrating Change." Her blog is an independent voice for accountability and transparency in public education. Elizabeth advocates for every child's right to the best education we can offer, free of cost, without undercutting one child to serve another. Her work supports teachers as professionals, as humans, and as organized labor.
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Alex Handfinger
Campaign Director

Alex Handfinger is a product and proud supporter of equitable, world-class public education. Alex believes it is essential in order for democracy to function. As a member of Grassroots Arkansas and the Central Arkansas Democratic Socialists of America, Alex advocates for democracy daily. He loves puppies, eating, and people power.

Ganelle McBryde
Strategic Consultant

Ganelle McBryde is a public servant, owner of The Giovanna Group consulting firm, and mother to super princess, Bronx Giovanna Blake. Ganelle is committed to increasing the transformational capacity of organizations through evidence-based decisions about mission, equity, and outcomes. A fifth generation citizen of Little Rock, she refuses to remain silent while the bedrock of public education is destroyed.

We're Here for You

• Attorneys​​ who want to join forces and fight the harm caused by state mismanagement of public education.
• Educators who have suffered retaliation or job loss as a result of efforts to report administrative non-compliance with state and federal laws through appropriate chains of command.
• Staff who have been harmed in the course of their employment within the Arkansas system of public education.
• Students whose civil rights have been violated by mismanagement of public education.
• Stakeholders who believe the Arkansas State Board of Education has overstepped their authority, or have been negligent in their duties.