Judge rules in favor of fired Dublin teachers 

A Dublin Superior Court Judge has ruled in favor of two former Dublin City school system employees who say they were wrongfully terminated by the embattled district. 

Thursday afternoon Judge Jud Green ruled in favor of Latonia Butts and Adisyn Walsh, who filed suit against the school system when their contracts were cancelled after the district’s dire financial condition came to light. No damages have been awarded, as an appeal from the district is expected. Similar lawsuits are pending. 

The ruling comes just a day after a marathon hearing in Atlanta where the Georgia Board of Education voted unanimously to recommend the suspension and removal of the Dublin board. 

Ellen Schoolar, the lawyer representing the fired educators, argued that the Dublin City Board of Education failed to do its due diligence in financial planning and issuing contracts. The contracts also, she argued, did not include termination clauses and she said her clients had violated no school system policy that would have allowed for their employment be ended. 

“My clients did absolutely nothing to have their contract terminated,” she told the judge. 

About 50 people were fired from the school system in efforts to close a projected budget deficit that reached as much as $13 million. 

The Dublin district has been in financial stress for the better part of two decades. The true condition of the its money troubles came out when state officials announced the system owed $6 million in back payments to the state health benefit plan. 

The attorney representing Dublin schools, Brian Smith, said that the board was unaware of the district’s true financial state, and was misled by former finance director Chad McDaniel. Once the cash-strapped nature of the system was revealed, it allowed the board to take action. 

“The funds believed to be available at the time of the contracts were not,” Smith said. “That’s the catalyst for the reduction of force.”  

Judge Green has heard at least one other suit filed by terminated teachers. In January, Green denied a petition for art teacher Ashley White’s position be restored; however he reserved ruling on White’s complaint for damages.