Judge sets Jefferson’s day in court

Published 8:49 pm Thursday, February 2, 2012

More than a week after both sides voiced some concern about the delays in the setting of a court date, it appears the case involving former superintendent of education Donald Jefferson and the Selma City School Board has a firm date.

According to attorneys representing the school board, Circuit Court Judge Jack Meigs has set the hearing date for Tuesday, Feb. 14 in Selma.

A case that was originally filed on Oct. 31 in Circuit Court, then shipped to Federal Court in Mobile and then was remanded back to Circuit Court in early December has sat idle, waiting for its day in court — a day that was supposed to have been expedited due to the nature of the case.

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The case involves the lawsuit filed by former Selma City Schools superintendent Dr. Donald Jefferson against the Selma City School Board, alleging the board violated Alabama’s Open Meetings Act in the lead up to his termination in October.

“My client is certainly disappointed it has taken this long,” Jefferson’s attorney Terry Davis said in an earlier story with the Times-Journal. “The purpose of filing this as an Open Meetings violation because they are supposed to be expedited since it does involve public officials.”

Seale, who represents the school board in this case, said he too is not sure what has taken so long in getting this case before a judge and said all the information needed has been filed.

According to Seale, the court usually sets a court date within seven days of the defendants offering their response to the suit.

In this case, the suit was most recently filed in the circuit court on Dec. 9 and those attorneys representing the school board filed their response electronically on Dec. 19.

Just this week, the school board began the process of hiring a search firm to find and hire Jefferson’s replacement. During Tuesday’s board meeting, board members heard presentations from three search firms.


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