A groundbreaking court verdict has awarded Sheri Mimbs, a former Cotton Indian Elementary teacher, a substantial six-figure sum in monetary damages.
This ruling comes after a six-year legal battle against the Henry County School System, which WSBTV reported
stemmed from her termination for refusing to assign grades that did not reflect student’s actual performance. In the wake of this victory, Mimbs has set her sights on a new endeavor — running for the School Board District 5 seat.Mimbs expressed her elation at the outcome, stating, “That’s a victory for me. That’s a victory for these teachers…A weight off my shoulders.”
The school district has been ordered to pay her attorney’s fees and reverse her non-renewal, which Mimbs claims had previously hindered her from securing employment as a teacher.
The conflict dates back to 2017, when Assistant Principal Kayla Holmes instructed Mimbs not to issue grades below 60, even to students who failed to submit any work. This directive was part of a policy implemented by school
administrators. Mimbs recounted, “…she was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You need to change those grades. Kids can’t have less than a 60.'” The Georgia educator said the initial request blew her mind, according to WSBTV.Mimbs revealed in 2022 that she captured an audio recording of a conversation with Principal Lisa Travis, in which Travis articulated the rationale behind the directive to modify grades. “We want to be able to let a child at least make some progress,” the female voice stated on the recording. “It’s not about giving them a 60 just to give them a 60.”
Mimbs’ attorney, Barton Black, emphasized that the school’s actions were illegal, and the former teacher maintained that she should not have lost her job for upholding ethical standards. “I should not have lost my job for doing the right thing,” Mimbs asserted.
While her initial
goal was to return to the classroom and continue pursuing her passion for teaching, Mimbs has now set her sights on campaigning for the school board seat, along with Gewel Richardson and incumbent board member Makenzie McDaniel.RELATED CONTENT: Ohio Teacher Faces Termination For Calling In Sick To Attend Concert