Two teachers, who were fired after being accused of leading an unruly student protest, were awarded $300,000 from the Detroit Public Schools (DPS).
In May 2007, married math teachers, Steve Conn and Heather Miller, were protesting the potential closures of 33 schools at Northern High School. District officials said during the protest, students were banging on windows, and as a result, they were pepper-sprayed by security and were detained, according to freep.com..
In June 2007, the couple was placed on leave and was barred from returning to work, despite a June 2008 Michigan Employment Relations Commission recommended reinstatement.
After suing the district, Conn and Miller were ordered by U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy III to immediately return to their jobs at Cass Tech High and Marquette Elementary, respectively.
The couple, who filed a lawsuit against the school board and its then-Superintendent Connie Calloway, says they plan to donate a large chunk of the money to civil rights causes. Both sides agreed to the amount of payment during mediation.
Because the district is facing financial difficulties, the court ruled that the school board has the right to issue bonds to pay the judgment.
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