Lawsuit to Challenge Protections for Minnesota Teachers

ST. PAUL-- Education reform groups plan to file a lawsuit challenging Minnesota laws that protect teachers.

The lawsuit is set to be filed Thursday against the state of Minnesota in Ramsey County. The suit is modeled after similar challenges in New York and California.

The lawsuit contends that Minnesota laws protect teachers who should be removed from the classroom. According to the suit, those laws are preventing thousands of students from getting a high-quality education.

The plaintiffs are four mothers from Duluth, St. Paul and Minneapolis. They are seeking to have state tenure and dismissal laws ruled unconstitutional.

Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius says Minnesota's laws protect teachers' due process while still giving school officials the authority to remove teachers.