NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES JUSTICE

New Orleans Public Schools Employees Justice
(www.nopsejustice.com)

Our lawsuit relates to the wrongful termination of 8,600 employees after Hurricane Katrina. It has nothing to do with two other class action lawsuits that have been filed against OPSB.

In late June of 2009, certain OPSB employees will receive a letter and a claims form concerning the sabbatical/sick leave class action lawsuit filed by UTNO. There will be deadlines and there will be a court hearing in the sabbatical case that have nothing to do with our wrongful termination class action.

Additionally, some OPSB employees have received a letter from attorney Jack Harang. His class action lawsuit involves claims relating to unpaid overtime for certain school board employees during the time period 2001-2004, which was prior to Katrina. His lawsuit has nothing to do with ours.

FOR THE ONLY ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAWSUIT PERTAINING TO THE WRONGFUL TERMINATION/KATRINA LAWSUIT, PLEASE REGULARLY CHECK WITH THIS WEBSITE.

We have established this website in order to provide information to New Orleans Public School employees who were terminated after Hurricane Katrina.

Over 8,500 permanent and tenured highly qualified and dedicated public school employees - including school principals, certified teachers, counselors, social workers, secretaries, para-educators, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and central office personnel – lost their jobs.

These employees are now fighting back. A lawsuit was filed in the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, against the Orleans Parish School Board and various State Defendants (the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, State Department of Education and the Recovery School District). The purpose of the lawsuit: to challenge the unlawful termination of these dedicated tenured employees whose employment rights were ignored and violated.

We are honored to serve as the interim committee of attorneys representing former NOPS employees in this historic lawsuit. The plaintiff's interim legal committee is comprised of the following attorneys:

Willie M. Zanders, Sr. (Lead Attorney)
Suzette Peychaud-Bagneris (Liaison Counsel)
Rico Alvendia
Anthony Irpino
Juana Marine-Lombard
Clarence Roby
Larry Samuel
Walter I. Willard