Birk v. Board of Education of Flora Community Unit School District No. 35

Plaintiff, Paul F. Birk, a tenured teacher, filed a petition for a writ of mandamus in the circuit court of Clay County, seeking an order upon the board of education of Flora Community Unit School District No. 35 (the board) to reinstate him as a guidance counselor under a 10-month contract. Plaintiff also sought actual damages in the amount of lost wages due to the reduction of his contract from 10 months to 9 months. The circuit court dismissed plaintiff’s petition and he appealed. The appellate court reversed, finding that section 24 — 12 of the School Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 122,…