Court holds that wrongfully fired teachers have no cause of action for damages

Three dismissed Potterville teachers sued the Board of Education and their school system after they were improperly dismissed following the 2011 fall semester.  The error was recognized and they were reinstated in May of 2012.  The teachers and their union argued that the school owed the women damages for violating the Revised School Code and their right to due process.  The trial judge ruled that when the Legislature comprehensively addressed teacher termination issues, it decided not to allow any legal redress for teachers who were wrongfully fired, and on that basis the lower court granted summary disposition to the school system.   The teachers appealed.

The Court of Appeals ruled that the "detailed enforcement" scheme adopted by the Legislature preempted any private rights the teachers might traditionally have enjoyed arising out of their illegal termination. Therefore, the women could not collect any money damages.