An Atlanta Public Schools educator and GAE member was accused of using undue physical force with several elementary school students last school year and faced non-renewal of his teaching contract at the end of the 2014-15 school year. Several students alleged that the educator punched students in the stomach, grabbed a student’s shirt, choked and hit students and slammed a student against the wall.
The educator denied these allegations, and during the course of the hearing, evidence revealed inconsistencies in the students’ statements. At the conclusion of a two-day hearing, a tribunal concluded that the evidence was insufficient to sustain the charges of incompetency, willful neglect of duties, insubordination and any other good and sufficient cause.
In January 2016, the Atlanta Board of Education accepted the recommendation of the tribunal to reinstate the educator’s employment.
The GAE member was represented by GAE network attorney, Sharese Shields of The Shields Law Firm, LLC.