Judge Considers Tossing School-Cheating Charges

Cameron McWhirter & Meredith Rutland:

A conspiracy case stemming from one of the largest school-cheating scandals in U.S. history could be scuttled or drastically diminished if a judge rules that investigators coerced some educators into talking.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter is considering a defense motion that he strike down many, if not all, of the charges--most notably conspiracy--against the former superintendent of Atlanta's public schools and 34 other former educators. Defense lawyers say the charges are based on interviews by state investigators who told some defendants they would be fired if they didn't talk, which they argue violated defendants' constitutional right against self-incrimination.

Judge Baxter is expected to make a ruling soon, though the precise timing is unclear.

A 2011 report by the state investigators found that cheating on state standardized tests was rife in Atlanta schools, including allegations that teachers erased incorrect answers because they would get bonuses if their students got higher scores. The report found the educators were responding to pressure from the administration of Beverly Hall, the superintendent from 1999 to 2011, to show marked improvement in their students' scores or face discipline or less pay.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at June 30, 2013 12:37 AM
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