AL Supreme Court Sides With State Superintendent on Sale of Georgia Washington School
The Alabama Supreme Court has sided with Interim State Superintendent Ed Richardson in a lawsuit filed to stop the sale of Georgia Washington Middle School.
In an opinion released this morning, the Supreme Court states Richardson’s decision to put the school up for sale fell is within his authority as interim superintendent, due to the school system’s financial issues.
The court dismissed an appeal, and has ordered the Montgomery County Circuit Court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Alabama Education Association, saying the Montgomery court did not have jurisdiction in the case.
AEA’s Response to the court’s ruling:
“The Alabama Education Association (AEA) is disappointed in today’s opinion from the Alabama Supreme Court in the Richardson v. Relf litigation. While we respectfully disagree with the Court’s conclusions, we respect its decision. The court’s decision will have a negative impact on all students in Montgomery who attend public schools, including those at Georgia Washington Middle School. We will continue defending the rights of our members and will not stop responding when we see actions being undertaken which threaten the quality of public education in Montgomery County, or in any public school system.
Today’s opinion was very limited in scope and dealt with the technical legal issue of standing, and should not be seen by anyone as an invitation for individuals with very little time left in office to engage in changes that will be harmful for students. Also, the opinion did not reach the specific issues concerning apparent conflicts of interest that AEA stands by and will raise in the future should it become necessary. We are hopeful that the appointment of Dr. Ann Roy Moore as superintendent of Montgomery County and Dr. Eric Mackey as State Superintendent of Education will allow the intervention to soon return to its origin, which was a collaborative effort to improve the quality of education for students in the Montgomery Public Schools.
AEA will work to foster such cooperation and help address the actual issues facing Montgomery County and its students, not issues that are being manufactured to push personal and political agendas.”
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