Florida teacher says school district breached his contract

A U.S. District Court judge has ruled that a teacher in Lee County, Florida, can proceed with his breach of contract claim against the school district, superintendent, principal and chief of the human resources department.

According to the lawsuit, the man was an instructor at a public high school. He alleges that several district employees did not sign off on his contract renewal after he had been elected lead building representative. The principal’s choice for the position lost.

The lead building representative serves as a liaison between the faculty, administrator and Teacher’s Association of Lee County.

In his role, the man told the principal and other staff members about allegedly inappropriate behavior by the teacher who lost. The man alleges that the teacher had an altercation with a student, according to the lawsuit.

The man contends that instead of taking action against the teacher, district personnel turned on him. According to the lawsuit, the man received two “baseless letters of warning. The letters contained false allegations about [his] failures as a teacher and his failure to adhere” to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The lawsuit charges that the man never was given the letters, which the principal instead put in his personnel file. Then, he contends, his contract wasn’t renewed with the district because of the letters and poor ratings on reviews.

This man claims his contract wasn’t renewed for invalid reasons. If you find yourself in a similar situation, you’d be wise to do just what this man did: consult with an attorney. This man wants to do what he was trained to do – teach – and going through the courts likely is the only way he will find the result he is looking for.