ATLANTA — The Georgia Association of Educators filed a lawsuit in DeKalb County Superior Court on behalf of three GAE members, alleging breach of contract because the district failed to issue written contracts for the 2024-2025 school year, in clear violation of Georgia law.
Under Georgia’s Quality Basic Education Act, all certified professional personnel are legally entitled to annual written employment contracts. On May 2, 2025, the school district sent an email to nearly 700 certified employees, including the three plaintiffs, stating they were no longer eligible for employment contracts due to a “review and alignment process for all positions.” The district bizarrely claimed that although these employees would no longer have written contracts as mandated by Georgia law, their roles, responsibilities, and continued employment would somehow still “remain secure,” as a “valued employee,” and they would “retain all applicable rights and benefits” under Georgia law. Requests for clarification from the school district were met with nonsensical Frequently Asked Questions and a YouTube video.
“This is unprecedented and frightening,” said Mike McGonigle, GAE General Counsel and Legal Services Director. “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. We are asking the court to treat GAE members with the respect and dignity they deserve by requiring DeKalb to issue written employment agreements.”
To read the complaint as filed, click here.
###
Contact:
Mike McGonigle, Esq.
678-837-1126
[email protected]
Copyright © 2025 Georgia Association of Educators. All Rights reserved.
