WHY IS THIS LAWSUIT A CLASS ACTION. In a class action, one or more people called Class Representatives sue on behalf of people who have similar claims. All of these people are referred to collectively as the settlement class, or individually as Settlement Class Members. One Court resolves the issues for all Settlement Class Members, except for those who exclude themselves from the Settlement Class.
WHY IS THIS LAWSUIT A CLASS ACTION. In a class action lawsuit, one or more people called “Named Plaintiffs” sue on behalf of other people who have similar claims. In this case, the Named Plaintiffs are Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx Xx., Xxxxxx Xxxxx, and Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xx. As part of the preliminary approval of this settlement, the Court decided that the lawsuit meets the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, which governs class actions in federal courts. Specifically, the Court allowed this lawsuit and the Settlement Class to be treated as a class action because: • there are a sufficient number of African-American teachers and PSRPs who were displaced because of the turnarounds in calendar years 2013, and 2014, to form a Settlement Class; • there are legal questions and facts that are common to each Settlement Class Member; • the Named Plaintiffs’ claims are typical of the claims of the rest of the Settlement Class; • the Named Plaintiffs and the lawyers representing the Settlement Class will fairly and adequately represent the Class Members’ interests; • the common legal questions and facts in this case are more important than questions that affect only individuals; and • this class action will be more efficient than having many individual lawsuits. The Court certified an initial class based on turnarounds that the Board approved in 2012, defined as all African American persons employed by the Board of Education of the City of Chicago as a teacher or para-professional staff, as defined in the labor agreement between the Chicago Teachers Union and the Board of Education, in any school or attendance center subjected to reconstitution, or “turnaround,” during the 2012 calendar year (“Certified Class”). The Certified Class received notice regarding certification, and the opportunity to opt out from the Certified Class and the litigation, on or about May 23, 2016. As part of this settlement, the Court has certified a Settlement Class (for settlement purposes only) defined as all African American persons employed by the Board of Education of the City of Chicago as a teacher or para-professional staff, as defined in the labor agreement between the Chicago Teachers Union and the Board of Education, in any school or attendance center subjected to reconstitution, or “turnaround,” in the 2013 and/or 2014 calendar years (“Settlement Class”).
