Jury to Decide if Racism Motivated Firing of Chicago Teachers

A jury in Chicago will hear competing evidence, including dueling expert testimony, as it determines if racial bias was involved in a decision to terminate teachers as part of a “turnaround,” in which the entire faculty at 18 underperforming schools was let go, a federal court in Illinois said.

Illinois law gives school boards authority to turn around poorly performing schools by removing all staff except engineers and cafeteria workers without the promise of continued employment. After a turnaround, the Chicago Board of Education contracts with a third party to run a school. It’s considered a “last resort,” according to ...