Amarante do Maranhão Disclosure/UEMA The Federal Court ordered the municipality of Amarante do Maranhão, in the southwest of Maranhão, to renovate the Aldeia Cigana school and guarantee adequate operating conditions for the unit. The decision was made after a public civil action filed by the Public Ministry of the State of Maranhão (MP-MA), with subsequent action by the Federal Public Ministry (MPF). The municipality's mayor was also fined more than R$522,000 for failing to comply with court orders over the past few years. According to the sentence, the municipality ignored successive court orders to correct structural problems at the indigenous school, which serves the Aldeia Cigana community. 📱Download the g1 app to see MA news in real time and for free The case began in 2017, after investigations by the Public Ministry of the State of Maranhão revealed serious deficiencies in the unit's infrastructure. Among the problems identified were a damaged roof, holes in the floor, dirty walls, broken or insufficient desks and interruptions in the provision of school meals. According to surveys, the situation was so precarious that the school was unable to operate on rainy days. Now on g1 Given this scenario, the State Court granted urgent relief and ordered the municipality to carry out a bidding process to renovate the school. Despite being notified, the city hall did not present a defense and appealed the decision. Subsequently, the case was sent to the Federal Court, which maintained the preliminary decision and authorized the Federal Public Ministry to join the action. The municipality was again summoned to prove compliance with court orders, but did not respond. In a statement in the process, the Federal Public Ministry reported that it had already opened a civil investigation into the same facts. Previous inspections also recorded the precarious conditions of the school and the lack of proof of significant improvements. Given the continued non-compliance, the Court ordered the mayor to be personally summoned. Even so, according to the records, the manager did not present a statement or take effective measures to resolve the problem. In his sentence, the judge highlighted that education is a fundamental right and that public authorities have the obligation to guarantee adequate teaching conditions for indigenous communities. The judge also highlighted that the lack of resources does not justify the violation of basic rights, especially when the dignity and development of children and adolescents are at stake. Court determinations The decision obliges the municipality of Amarante do Maranhão to adopt all necessary measures to renovate the indigenous school at Aldeia Cigana. The city hall will have 90 days to prove compliance with obligations by presenting documents, such as contracts, invoices, inspection reports and photographs. Furthermore, due to repeated non-compliance with court decisions, the mayor was sentenced to pay two personal fines. The first, of R$ 12,900, was applied for an act violating the dignity of Justice. The second corresponds to an accumulated daily fine totaling R$510,000 for the delay in complying with the injunction. The judge also ordered the case to be sent to the Federal Public Ministry to investigate any criminal liability committed by the municipal manager. The decision can still be appealed.