Arbitrator Rules DC Public Schools Must Rehire 75 Fired Teachers

WASHINGTON - A bombshell decision is leaving another black eye for former D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. She gained national attention for her aggressive mass firings. During her tenure, she fired nearly a thousand teachers from DCPS.

Nathan Saunder - President, Washington Teachers Union (VIDEO#2)

On Tuesday, the school system was ordered to rehire 75 of them fired by Rhee two years ago. A well-crafted decision by an independent arbitrator ended the two-year fight over the teachers' firing.

Read the arbitrator's ruling here

The city will also have to pay millions of dollars in back pay. The teachers haven't worked for DCPS for two years, but will each be getting an average check for $100,000.

An arbitrator says they were not given reasons for their firings and never had a chance to tell their story.

The Washington Teachers’ Union says the mass firings weren't just counter productive; they were illegal.

"This is a common sense error. Essentially, if you fire an employee, a government public employee, you should at the very least tell them the reason they're being terminated," said Nathan Saunders, President of the Washington Teachers’ Union.

The aggressive approach to fire teachers set off a round of protests and outrage. Teachers after one year in the classroom were abruptly given pink slips without an explanation in 2008.

The arbitrator called it "a glaring and fatal flaw."

"It's expensive and what was going on in D.C. Public Schools was not smart, it was not educationally sound and it was in reality against the best interests of the children and residents of the city," said Saunders.

The decision will hit the budget strapped city hard. Here's the math. 75 teachers fired, each making an average of $50,000 per year. Each will get about $100,000 in back pay. For the two years, the total payout will cost $7.5 million.

The union says the fight is not over for 200 other teachers still fighting to get their jobs back.

"The reality is it’s going to cost the city more money. We're not finished yet. I’m going to try and reinstate every single wrongfully terminated teacher under Michelle Rhee and Adrian Fenty that I can find on Earth," said Saunders.

Rhee fired nearly 1,000 people.

The District was given 60 days to make good faith effort to find the 75 teachers involved in this case and reinstate them.

DCPS issued a statement saying it is reviewing the decision and its options to appeal.

LINK: Read the Arbitrator's Ruling