Lawsuit Seeks to Block Sale of Historic Hungerford School Property

Residents of Eatonville, Florida claim the Orange County School Board violated Sunshine Law in the $14 million deal with Dr. Phillips Charities.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 3:07am

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A serene, nostalgic painting of an old school building with warm, golden light filtering through the windows and deep shadows across the facade, conveying a sense of the property's historical significance and the community's desire to protect it.A community fights to preserve the legacy of the historic Hungerford School property, as a legal battle unfolds over the secretive sale process.Eatonville Today

The Association for the Preservation of the Eatonville Community has filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to block the sale of the historic Hungerford School property in Eatonville, Florida. The lawsuit claims the Orange County School Board engaged in illegal backroom dealings and violated Florida's Sunshine Law when approving the $14 million sale to Dr. Phillips Charities last fall without sufficient public input.

Why it matters

The Hungerford School property holds deep historical significance as a trailblazing education institution for Black students in the 1800s. Residents of Eatonville, a predominantly Black community, want a say in the future redevelopment of this land and feel the school board's process lacked transparency.

The details

The 27-page lawsuit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of the Association for the Preservation of the Eatonville Community claims the Orange County School Board did not hold sufficient public meetings to discuss the sale before announcing the $14 million deal with Dr. Phillips Charities last fall. The lawsuit does not challenge the substance of the deal itself, only the process by which it was reached.

  • In June, September, January 6, and January 13, the Orange County School Board held public meetings where the Hungerford property was discussed.
  • In the fall of 2025, the Orange County School Board approved the $14 million sale of the Hungerford property to Dr. Phillips Charities.

The players

Association for the Preservation of the Eatonville Community

A community organization suing the Orange County School Board over the sale of the historic Hungerford School property in Eatonville, Florida.

Orange County School Board

The governing body that approved the $14 million sale of the Hungerford School property to Dr. Phillips Charities, which the lawsuit claims violated Florida's Sunshine Law.

Dr. Phillips Charities

The nonprofit organization that purchased the Hungerford School property for $14 million from the Orange County School Board.

Southern Poverty Law Center

The civil rights organization representing the Association for the Preservation of the Eatonville Community in the lawsuit against the Orange County School Board.

Priscilla

An Eatonville resident who attended the school board meeting when the Hungerford property sale was approved and felt the process was rushed.

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What’s next

A judge will decide whether to issue an injunction to block the sale of the Hungerford property while the lawsuit proceeds.

The takeaway

This case highlights the tension between a community's desire to preserve its history and a school board's authority to make decisions about public property. The lawsuit alleges a lack of transparency, raising questions about how local governments should balance development interests with the needs and concerns of long-standing residents.