Hoernschemeyer and Helfrich Defeat $76 Million Dollar Lawsuit

After a hearing before the School District’s Board of Education, the Board of a Mid-Missouri School District terminated three tenured teachers for immoral conduct. The teachers appealed the matter to circuit court and concurrently filed suit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri asserting various tort and constitutionally based claims against the District and ten former and current District employees, seeking damages in excess of $76 million dollars. Following Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss, Judge Gary A. Fenner of the Western District dismissed nine of Plaintiffs’ twelve counts against the District and District defendants and stayed the remaining three counts until final resolution of the teachers’ appeal in state court. Following the Missouri Court of Appeals’ ruling in favor of the District on the teachers’ appeal, the firm moved to lift the stay in the federal court proceedings and to dismiss the remaining counts against the District. On May 3, 2011, all remaining counts against the District were dismissed.