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Iberia schools withdraw damages clause in teacher contracts

Posted at 7:15 PM, May 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-22 20:15:40-04

The Iberia Parish school system has withdrawn a measure that would have lodged financial penalties against teachers who sign their contracts for the next school year but then leave for employment elsewhere.

Teachers in violation of the clause would have been charged $1,200 if they signed the contract but took another job before school started.

The school system sent out a new version of the contract on Tuesday that omitted the clause, which will not be enforced against any teacher who signed it already, according to an email that details the change.

An attorney for the Iberia Parish School Board said last week that the clause was implemented to help ensure that all classrooms are staffed at the start of the school year.

The Iberia Federation of Teachers and School Employees opposed the measure. They said it threatened any guarantee for a teacher’s position or salary in the following academic year.