WOODS v. BARNES (Two Cases)

318 Ga. 300

FINAL COPY S23A0821. WOODS et al. v. BARNES et al. S23A0822. BEARDEN et al. v. BARNES et al. COLVIN, Justice. The Fair Dismissal Act (“FDA”), codified within Title 20 of the Georgia Code, affords public school teachers who have “accept[ed] a school year contract for the fourth consecutive school year from the same local board of education” certain protections against demotion and the nonrenewal of their contracts. OCGA § 20-2-942 (b) (1). Among other things, the FDA provides that such a teacher “may be demoted or the teacher’s contract may not be renewed only for those reasons set…