AEA fighting to reinstate 99 Birmingham schools employees

The Alabama Education Association (AEA) was in court Thursday in an attempt to reinstate 99 former Birmingham School System employees they say were wrongfully terminated.

The group and their attorney were in court today for a lawsuit hearing involving Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon. They are trying to intervene in the case in which Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Houston Brown ruled Witherspoon could keep his job and the state board of education could takeover the city system.

Birmingham attorney John Saxon represents the AEA and the 99 employees. He says that the Birmingham Board of Education didn't actually approve a reduction of staff earlier this year.

The staff cuts were part of a larger set of budget cuts mandated by the state to bring the school system into compliance with state law.

According to Saxon, the board tied on whether to make the staffing cuts when state law requires the board to pass the vote.

Brown didn't comment today on the case saying that the AEA's claims had nothing to do with the current case against Witherspoon. However, he did open the door for the AEA to file a new lawsuit against the BOE.

Saxon has two weeks to file and additional papers in the case. Saxon says even the dismissals are legal the workers are entitled to 75 days severance not the 15 days they were given.

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