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Legal Wins

GAE Wins State Board Reversal For Muscogee County Member Jamal Harris

GAE beat nearly insurmountable odds by convincing the State Board of Education that Muscogee County Schools did not have any evidence to impose a one-day suspension and a letter of reprimand.
Published: March 8, 2024

Under Georgia’s strict standard of appellate review, the State Board must affirm the local decision if there is “any evidence” to support the school district’s decision. To understand just how harsh the “any evidence” We Will Not Go Back As reported in the Spring 2023 issue of the KNOW magazine, Chief Judge Dwayne H. Gillis found Charlton County Schools in willful contempt of the Court’s Order and awarded GAE $11,935.00 for the school system’s bad faith actions causing unnecessary trouble and expenses—Dr. Sherilonda Green v. Charlton County School District, case number 2022-SU-CV-01112. rule is, consider that the school district could lose nine out of ten charges; the State Board would be required to affirm the local board’s decision based on at least some evidence of the remaining charge. Congratulations to GAE network attorney Julie Oinonen. You can read the decision at https://gae.org/ sites/gae/files/2023-07/harris-reversal.pdf.

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The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) is Georgia's preeminent professional association for public school employees. We are a member-led organization supporting students and educators in Georgia's public schools through grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, and legal action.