HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Sumner County Education Association is suing the county's Board of Education, claiming the First Amendment rights of the teachers' union were violated.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in Nashville this week said the local chapter of the Tennessee Education Association has been denied use of school facilities, email and the ability to represent teachers being reprimanded, warned or disciplined.
Lawmakers this year passed a new law that replaces teachers' collective bargaining rights with a concept called "collaborative conferencing." The Sumner County Education Association argues in the lawsuit that the school district isn't allowing it to participate in that process.
A spokesman for the Sumner County Board of Education did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Friday.
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