Firing tenured teachers made easier by Louisiana Supreme Court ruling

A 2012 law that gave state school superintendents wide discretion in firing tenured teachers is constitutional, the Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled, reversing a lower court decision that concluded the law gave public school officials too much authority.

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in February sided with Vermilon Parish teacher Kasha LaPointe's challenge to the law, ruling that the law was unconstitutional because it did not afford LaPointe an adequate hearing before she was fired.

The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law in a ruling this week, saying the law provides a teacher with ample opportunity to respond to the charges in a pre-termination hearing and also in two hearings after the teacher is fired.

"At the first of these post-termination hearings, the teacher may present evidence to build his or her case before a tenure-hearing panel, which then makes a recommendation to the superintendent," Justice Greg Guidry wrote.

Read more: http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2015/07/supreme_court_reaffirms_proces.html#incart_river

Cross-posted in the Omaha Steve's Labor Group.