Georgia Court Hears Arguments On School Board Removal

ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia’s top court is considering whether the governor can remove members of troubled school boards and name new ones. DeKalb County School Board member Eugene Walker has filed a federal lawsuit asking that a judge declare as unconstitutional a law that allowed him to be suspended from his government post.

Gov. Nathan Deal earlier this year suspended six school board members, including Walker, after an evaluation agency placed the district’s accreditation at risk. A federal judge requested that Georgia’s Supreme Court rule on whether the 2010 law allowing the removal of school boards conflicts with the  state constitution, which says schools should be under the control of local education boards. The court is also considering whether the General Assembly exceeded its powers by allowing the removal of school board members.