After winning a court case, a former teacher who filed a lawsuit against her school district is now seeking a victory in the upcoming elections.
Former Cotton Indian Elementary teacher, Sheri Mimbs, was awarded a six-figure sum in monetary damages by a jury. Mimbs claims that she was fired because she refused to give students grades that they did not deserve.
“It felt like a huge sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted,” Mimbs expressed to Channel 2’s Tom Jones, reflecting on her six-year-long struggle against the Henry County School System and the moment when the jury finally delivered a verdict in her favor.
She expressed her joy and satisfaction, saying, “This is a win for me, and it’s also a win for these incredible teachers.”
Mimbs’ stance on refusing to assign grades to students based on a predetermined standard set by the school was the cause of it all.
“I awarded them the grades they deserved.”
In 2017, a note was written by an assistant principal instructing her not to assign grades lower than 60, even if students did not submit any work.
When I approached the assistant principal, she responded with a dismissive tone saying, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You need to change those grades. Kids can’t have less than a 60,” Mimbs shared.
According to Mimbs, her contract was not renewed after she made a complaint. However, she took legal action and emerged victorious in the lawsuit.
“I could sense that I was facing retaliation,” she expressed.
The district was ordered by the jury to pay her a substantial amount of money as monetary damages for retaliation. Additionally, the district is responsible for covering her attorney’s fees. Most importantly, the district was required to reverse her non-renewal, which she believes was hindering her ability to secure teaching positions.
Now that he has achieved victory in court, Mimbs is setting his sights on a victory at the polls.
“I have decided to run for the school board,” she announced confidently.
Mimbs expresses her satisfaction with the jury’s decision, stating that she is pleased she stayed true to her principles and received recognition for doing so.
She firmly expressed her belief that simply giving out grades does not truly benefit any student.
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Jones reached out to the Henry County School System for a comment. In response, a spokesperson provided a copy of the judgment and declined to offer any further remarks.
Mimbs, Gewel Richardson, and Makenzie McDaniel are all vying for the School Board District 5 seat.