Associated Press - November 24, 2009 6:24 AM ET

BOSTON (AP) - A group of 5 part-time Massachusetts community college instructors have sued the state, claiming that hundreds of adjunct faculty in the state's colleges are unfairly denied health care coverage.

The lawsuit filed Monday in Suffolk Superior Court comes after nearly a decade of unsuccessful wrangling with state legislators to get an adjunct health insurance law enacted.

It also comes as schools, particularly community colleges, are increasingly turning to adjuncts as enrollment rises.

Joseph LeBlanc, president of the Massachusetts Community College Council, which is among the plaintiffs, tells The Boston Globe that he ran out of patience waiting for the state to act.

The state Department of Higher Education and the state's Group Insurance Commission, both named as defendants, declined comment.

Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe

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