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Thursday, October 8, 2009

Teachers Sue District Over Layoffs - D.C. Wire -


Teachers Sue District Over Layoffs - D.C. Wire -:

"The Washington Teachers Union sued today to block last week's teacher layoffs, charging that District public school principals improperly targeted educators for dismissal on the basis of age or their willingness to speak out against administrators, union president George Parker said late this afternoon.

Parker said the suit, filed in D.C. Superior Court, asks that DCPS be enjoined from firing the 388 teachers and other staff, who are scheduled to be dropped from the payroll on Nov. 2.

'This was a RIF (reduction in force) that was done in entirely a loose fashion,' said Parker, who briefed teachers this afternoon at the Metropolitan AME Church on M St. NW. 'It allowed principals to get rid of teachers regardless of their performance. Outspoken teachers, strong union advocates, they were targeted. 'That's the bottom line.'"