State Journal

After Connecticut officials won a long, expensive, hard-fought legal battle that cleared the state of responsibility for racial segregation in Hartford-area schools, Gov. John G. Rowland took a moment to savor the victory.

He chose to share the glory with the victorious lead lawyer, presenting Attorney General Richard Blumenthal with a chilled bottle of Mo‰t et Chandon adorned with a festive purple ribbon. Local television stations captured the moment and showed the celebration on their evening newscasts.

The occasion, however, was not universally viewed as cause to celebrate, and proved especially hard to swallow for many Hartford residents. They saw themselves as the losers in the desegregation case filed on behalf of the poor, minority children concentrated in the city's schools....