LOUISIANA ASSOCIATION of EDUCATORS Court Rules Act 1 Due Process Provisions Unconstitutional in Monroe City Lawsuit LAE Leaders Believe Ruling Will Set A Precedent for Pending Act 1 Challenges Across the State BATON ROUGE, LA – August 16, 2013 –The Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE) applauds district judge, the Honorable Benjamin Jones, for ruling in favor of public school educators. On Friday, Judge Jones declared that Act 1’s removal of due process rights violates both the Louisiana and United States constitutions. LAE President Debbie Meaux said the ruling is a significant win for educators across the state. “Here’s another instance of Governor Jindal’s education overhaul laws being struck down in court,” she said. “We hope that Friday’s ruling will set a precedent for pending Act 1 challenges across the state.” In April of 2013, the LAE Legal Team headed by attorney Brian Blackwell, filed a lawsuit against the Monroe City School Board on behalf of a member of the Monroe City Association of Educators (MCAE), whose superintendent threatened to fire her without following a fair due process procedure. The MCAE member approached the LAE to take action when she realized her constitutional rights were being violated. “It’s essential that our administrators follow a policy that is constitutional and just,” explained MCAE President Nancy Farley. “When we saw that this wasn’t the case, we took a stand. We’re happy to see that the court chose to uphold the constitution and the rights of a Louisiana teacher and citizen.” Act 1 of the 2012 Legislative Session made major changes to public education policy in Louisiana, and also changed the method for hiring, compensating, and terminating teachers and other school employees. Meaux said that the leaders of the LAE told Governor Jindal, Superintendent of Education John White, and legislators that these proposed laws were unconstitutional, but these pleas fell upon deaf ears. “We tried to help revise and improve Act 1 through proposed legislation during the 2012 and 2013 Legislative Sessions,” Meaux explained. “Our revisions were similar to those cited by Judge Jones in his ruling. Unfortunately, the LAE’s proposed legislation (HB 879 – Jones ‘12 and HB 625 – Gaines ‘13) were met with constant opposition. Rather than take us seriously, our legislation was brushed off and we were accused of supporting the status quo.” As a result of this, members of LAE affiliates are being forced to challenge Act 1 in courtrooms across the state. “There are many legal and professional issues with the way these laws handle teacher due process, individual contracts, employee salary schedules, and reduction-in-force policies,” Meaux said. “We will continue to work with our members and administrations in parishes across the state in order to ensure fair treatment for Louisiana public school employees. Educators’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions; it’s imperative that we agree on these conditions, so that we can focus on the most important issue at hand – improving student learning.” For more information, contact LAE Communications Specialist Ashley Davies at (225) 343-9243 ext. 119.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 22:57:54 +0000
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