By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – The Alabama Education Association has lost a court challenge of Bradley Byrne's hiring as the state's two-year college chancellor, a politically charged case that hinged on whether the public was given proper notice.
Three leaders of AEA had filed a lawsuit contending that the State Board of Education didn't comply with Alabama's open meetings law when hiring Byrne last year. They argued that the hiring should be voided.
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Gene Reese ruled last week the board "complied with the Open Meetings Act" in hiring Byrne.
AEA and Byrne have sparred over some of his policy changes, including barring two-year college employees from serving in the Legislature after the 2010 election and requiring current employees in the Legislature to use vacation time to attend legislative sessions.