A Boone County judge said Wednesday she was leaning toward the Columbia teachers union in its lawsuit against Columbia Public Schools. The district had its motion to dismiss the case denied during a morning hearing.
The hearing before 13th Circuit Judge Jodie Asel marked the first courtroom action in the lawsuit. It states the school district bargained in bad faith and violated constitutional rights of the Columbia Missouri National Education Association when it demanded the union gain certification credentials required under a new state law.
“What I’m seeing before me here is parties who have worked together extensively to get to where they are today, but you’re in a Catch-22 because of things that happened that are beyond the control of either side,” Asel said.
The Catch-22 emerged in March when a St. Louis County Circuit Court judge barred state agencies from carrying out House Bill 1413, which requires all exclusive bargaining units to be certified by the State Board of Mediation — a requirement CMNEA does not currently meet.
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