The Georgia Association of Educators announced they were suing DeKalb County Schools over what they say is a breach of contract.
According to GAE, the school district allegedly breached contracts and broke Georgia law by failing to issue written employment contracts for hundreds of employees in the 2024-2025 school year.
The state’s Quality Basic Education Act requires that all certified professional personnel are legally entitled to receive annual, written employment contracts.
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On May 2, GAE says DeKalb County Schools sent emails to almost 700 certified employees telling them they were no longer eligible for employment contracts due to a “review and alignment process for all positions.”
GAE said the district claimed that while the employees would not have written contracts as required by law, their roles, responsibilities and continued employment were still secure and they would keep all of their benefits and rights.
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When district employees asked for clarification, GAE said they were “met with nonsensical Frequently Asked Questions and a YouTube video.’
“This is unprecedented and frightening,” Mike McGonigle, GAE General Counsel and Legal Services Director, said in a statement. “DeKalb has undermined the very purpose of the law, which is to avoid, in part, the ambiguity of ‘at-will’ employment. Certified educators across the state have relied upon the consistency and certainty of this basic right for decades.”
McGonigle said they are asking the court to require the school district issue written employment agreements for the GAE members impacted.
The lawsuit also requests the district pay reasonable attorneys fees.
Citing district policy on pending legal issues, a spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit.
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