Local School Districts Taken to Court Over Charter Schools

Fulton and Gwinnett County school districts have been sued by a group of Georgia taxpayers who accuse them of using taxpayers' funds and resources to campaign against the state charter schools amendment that is on the General Election ballot, WABE's Michelle Wirth reported online and on air late Monday afternoon.

The five plaintiffs, who are seeking class action status to represent all Georgia taxpayers, want an injunction barring the defendants to continue engaging in political activity in opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment on charter schools authorized by the Georgia General Assembly with HR 1162. The two school systems were chosen to represent all 180 school districts in the state.

The five plaintiffs and their attorney cite an Oct. 1 letter from Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens that Jim Galloway described in his AJC Political Insider blog as ordering local school boards to stop campaigning against the amendment, though the ruling also applies to any public funds used to support it.

Fulton County's FAQ on the state charter amendment – posted on the school system's website – was cited as one of the offenses by the plaintiffs

Plaintiffs and representatives for the two school boards are to appear before  a Fulton County Superior Court judge on Wednesday afternoon, the AJC's Wayne Washington reports.