News & Updates

Teacher Tenure Act Case Dismissed

Greene Espel attorneys John Baker and Jeanette Bazis successfully obtained a dismissal of all claims against the Anoka-Hennepin School District. The suit was brought against the district and the state by parents and guardians of five children who argued that various statutory protections for tenured Minnesota teachers should be eliminated.  

District Judge Margaret M. Marrinan dismissed all claims against Anoka Hennepin School District because the only plaintiff residing within the district had suffered no injury traceable to the challenged statutes. The court further found that the complaint stated no claim that the challenged statutes were invalid on their face or that the Anoka Hennepin School District had violated that plaintiff’s rights in any way. 

The case received media coverage from publications including the New York Times, MPR News, and the Star Tribune. The case continues a recent nationwide trend of challenges against teacher tenure/contract laws.

John and Jeanette advise school districts on many of their most pressing employment, civil rights, and constitutional issues, and on compliance with statutes governing campaign-finance reporting.