Fired Fulton teacher suing school district

A former Fulton Public School teacher filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the superintendent and the Board of Education, charging that he was fired from his teaching contract without due process.

According to the lawsuit, Superintendent Jacques Cowherd fired Brandon McDaniel from his long-term substitute teacher position on Feb. 13. His termination and ban from school property came three days after McDaniel was accused of having inappropriate electronic communication with a female high school student.

The school district and the Fulton Police Department began investigating the accusation, which police chief Steve Myers said involved communication via Snapchat. The police department later determined no physical contact ever occurred between McDaniel and the student and formal charges were never filed.

The petition states that Cowherd gave McDaniel no notice of the termination and did not provide him with an opportunity for a hearing, which is required by both state and federal law.

McDaniel is asking the court to order that the school district reinstate his teaching contract and pay for his lost wages. He’s also asking for money to compensate for the school district allegedly violating his right to due process.