ABSTRACT

THEOTHERWASAN!FRICAN!MERICAN4HE!FRICAN!MERICANTEACHERWASTHEONLYMINORITY TEACHERAMONGTHEFACULTYINTHE"USINESS$EPARTMENTTHOUGHNOTINTHESCHOOL 3TATELAWGREATLYRESTRICTEDLOCALSCHOOLBOARDDECISIONSREGARDINGLAYOFFSANDREDUCTIONS

in force. Nontenured faculty must be terminated first and subsequent reductions among tenured teachers in the affected subject area or grade level must proceed in reverse order of seniority. Seniority for this purpose is calculated according to specific guidelines set by state law. Thus, local boards lack discretion to choose between employees for layoff, except in the rare instance of a tie in seniority between the two or more employees eligible to fill the last remaining position.