Fired Black educators file lawsuit against Chicago Public Schools over wrongful termination

CHICAGO - A group of Black veteran teachers have filed a federal class action lawsuit against the Chicago Public Schools claiming they were wrongfully terminated.

A statement from the Chicago Alliance of Urban School Educators (CAUSE) said CPS has also blacklisted many qualified teachers from being rehired.

"CPS secretly maintained an illegal "do not hire list" through which the mostly Black veteran teachers who had already been unjustly terminated were unknowingly blocked from being hired when they applied for other jobs for which they were qualified within the vast CPS system," the statement said. "This practice forced the terminated teachers to seek work in suburban school districts, move out of state to seek jobs in their profession, seek jobs in Indiana or seek lesser jobs in other fields."

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 CHICAGO APP FOR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

The group claimed the teachers were frequently replaced by less experienced, non-Black teachers.

CAUSE members also said there is a direct correlation between the illegal firing of thousands of Black teachers and the sudden escalation of youth violence including carjackings within the city.

"The veteran Black teachers often served as conflict resolvers and violence preventers in schools through sometimes having taught and/or coached several members of the same family and thereby having built a rapport and familiarity with the family," the statement said.

A spokesperson for CPS said the district does not comment on pending litigation.