LOUISVILLE (LBF) -- As a battle looms between teachers and officials at the Kentucky Department of Education over work stoppages, a Louisville law firm said it's ready to step in to defend teachers pro bono.
The labor battle has been brewing for the last few weeks, as Jefferson County Public Schools has had to cancel school six times because teachers called in sick so they could attend protests in Frankfort. Late last week, Kentucky Commissioner of Education Wayne Lewis asked districts who had experienced these so-called "sickouts" to provide the names of teachers who had called in sick. During a news conference Friday, Lewis said the department was simply collecting information and that he wasn't sure how it would be used.
The firm that is offering its services is Adams Landenwich Walton PLLC. Because no charges have been filed and no disciplinary action has been taken against teachers at this point, it's hard to say exactly what the firm's strategy will be in defending them, said attorney Laura Landenwich, one of the founders of the practice. But, she said, the type of grassroots, collective action that the teachers are taking by participating in Frankfort protests is generally considered to be protected conduct under a lot of different legal definitions. The teachers certainly have a right to receive notification on any charges that would be filed against them, she said.
The firm hasn't been contacted by any teachers seeking pro bono representation, though she suspects that will change if and when charges are filed or disciplinary actions are taken. Kentucky statute does give the state the authority to recommend action against teachers, she said.