Judge Rules Against Teacher Who Says She Was Fired Over Facebook Photos
An Atlanta judge ruled against a former teacher who lost her job after an anonymous complaint was filed to the school district about photos posted on Facebook.
Ashley Payne, who says she was forced to resign over pictures of her holding an alcoholic drink while on vacation in Europe, sued the Barrow County schools to get her job back, alleging she was denied a due process hearing, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The case was heard this August and Superior Court Judge Chief David Motes recently returned his decision. The school district contends Payne voluntarily left her position.
Payne’s lawyer, Richard Storrs, filed an amended complaint Monday.
“Basically, we are claiming that she wasn’t told her rights to a statutory hearing, that the basic premise of what was going on was misrepresented to her, that it was a complaint by a parent when they didn’t have the information,” Storrs said, adding that his client is now seeking monetary damages, according to the Journal-Constitution.
Prior coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Companies Face ‘Legal Potholes’ as they Crack Down on Workers’ Social Media Posts”
Updated at 5:31 p.m. to add prior coverage.
