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Beshear rescinds former stance on teacher 'sickouts'

Posted at 1:51 PM, Dec 31, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-31 13:51:21-05

FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — On Tuesday, Gov. Andy Beshear decided to reverse the decision that teachers violated state law when participating in "sickouts."

This goes against what the previous administration decided.

Beshear said, after an investigation last year by the former Labor Cabinet, that nearly 1,000 teachers were wrongly accused of violating the laws and were threatened with civil penalities of up to $1,000 per violation.

“We are rescinding the prior administration’s stance to make clear that our teachers and educators never broke the law and are welcome in Frankfort,” said Beshear. “In order to do what is best for our public education system and each student, we must respect each other and find ways to work together.”

Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman also had something to say about the decision.

“In our administration we are focused on bringing Kentuckians together to solve our most pressing problems,” said Coleman. “And that starts with making sure we recognize the constitutional rights of our employees, educators and all Kentuckians.”

To read a copy of the letter from Beshear's Labor Cabinet Secretary Larry Roberts to the cabinet's inspector general, click here.