The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) has initiated legal action against the DeKalb County School District, filing a lawsuit in DeKalb County Superior Court. The suit was brought on behalf of three GAE members and claims that the district failed to provide written contracts for the 2024-2025 school year, which is required under Georgia law.
Georgia’s Quality Basic Education Act mandates that all certified professional personnel receive annual written employment contracts. On May 2, 2025, nearly 700 certified employees received an email from the school district stating they would no longer be eligible for employment contracts due to what was described as a “review and alignment process for all positions.” The communication assured employees that their roles and continued employment would remain secure and that they would retain all rights and benefits under state law, despite not having written contracts.
Requests from affected employees for more information were answered with Frequently Asked Questions documents and a YouTube video from the district.
“This is unprecedented and frightening,” said Mike McGonigle, GAE General Counsel and Legal Services Director. “DeKalb has undermined the very purpose of the law, which is to avoid, in part, the ambiguity of ‘at-will’ employment. Certified educators across the state have relied upon the consistency and certainty of this basic right for decades. We are asking the court to treat GAE members with the respect and dignity they deserve by requiring DeKalb to issue written employment agreements.”
The full complaint filed by GAE can be accessed online.
