Teachers’ union files lawsuit against the Orange County School Board

ORLANDO, Fla. — The teacher’s union in Orange County has filed a lawsuit against the Orange County School Board.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Teachers are taking their district to court, claiming their rights are being violated.

The Orange County Classroom Teachers Association filed a lawsuit against Superintendent Maria Vazquez and the School Board, alleging that the district is misinterpreting a new state law regarding teacher evaluations, which was passed in 2022.

Read: Superintendent: Orange County Public Schools doesn’t have funding for metal detectors

Union officials argue that the district’s interpretation of the law goes too far and strips teachers of their rights to have a say in their evaluations.

The lawsuit claims that the superintendent’s actions violate the Florida Constitution.

However, Orange County Public Schools disagrees.

Read: Hundreds of books removed from shelves across the Sunshine State

In a statement sent to WFTV, the district said in part that instructional evaluations have always been considered a management right and that the 2022 law merely clarified existing rules.

The lawsuit is now before the courts, where a judge will decide whether the district’s interpretation of the law is valid.

Read: Controversy continues over Glen Gilzean’s $5M Spending: Valencia College offers to return scholarship

The district also added that just over 95% of teachers voted to approve the law changes back in 2022.

Channel 9 is working to gather more details and will provide updates on Eyewitness News.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2024 Cox Media Group