Atlanta Teacher License Defense

Teachers hold a position of trust in society. Families trust them with their children during the school day when teachers act as in loco parentis. Making sure the public trusts teachers and that only qualified individuals become teachers is important.

Disciplinary action against teachers can be arbitrary. Investigations into misconduct allegations may not be thorough. Recommended disciplinary action may be out of proportion to a teacher’s alleged misconduct.

Accusations of misconduct don’t lessen a teacher’s right to an impartial investigation. Being accused of misconduct makes it all the more important that teachers have the opportunity to address the charges against them and defend themselves.

The Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm works with teachers facing misconduct accusations. We’re here to help you protect your career and your future. If you’re a teacher licensed in Georgia or Alabama and you’re facing misconduct charges, contact us at 888-535-3686 or fill out our online form.

About the Atlanta Metro Area

The eighth-largest metropolitan area in the United States, the Atlanta area covers two states and is home to approximately seven million people. The region as a whole has a teacher shortage, even as, in recent years, educators face a higher likelihood of being brought up on disciplinary charges.

In 2025, Georgia reported more ethics cases opened against teachers in 2024 than in the previous nine school years. The top four reasons teachers faced disciplinary action in the Peach State between 2019 and 2024 were:

• Violations of professional conduct

• Legal compliance

• Honesty

• Improper conduct with students

Violations of professional conduct standards made up 30 percent of reviewed cases. Three-fourths of cases involving honesty came from issues on applications or other documents, such as falsifying IEPs.

While some misconduct allegations can be cut and dried, others can be vague. Professional conduct can mean different things to different people, and teachers may not be held to a uniform standard.

The Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm works with our clients to protect their rights and build evidence-based defenses. That a teacher has been accused of misconduct doesn’t reduce their rights.

Teacher License Defense in Georgia

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaSPC) is responsible for drafting, implementing, and enforcing teaching standards in the state. GaSPC will investigate any teacher who violates the state’s Code of Ethics for Educators or commits an act of moral turpitude.

Reasons for Misconduct Accusations

Code of ethics violations include inappropriate relations with a student, being under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the school day, and falsifying any records related to professional qualifications. Misuse of public funds and accepting gifts that could be viewed as a conflict of interest may also result in potential disciplinary action.

GaSPC provides a definition of moral turpitude and examples. Georgia has defined an act of moral turpitude as being an action that’s wrong in itself or could be considered contrary to justice, honesty, modesty, good morals, or man’s duty to man.

Crimes that involve falsehood or deceit are generally considered to be crimes of moral turpitude. Fraud, theft, solicitation of prostitutes, and murder are just a few of the crimes that fall under this definition.

Even if a teacher isn’t convicted of a crime, they may still face misconduct allegations related to moral turpitude. Public drunkenness, DUIs, fighting, and child abandonment may also result in misconduct accusations even without criminal charges.

One of the challenges with moral turpitude is that it’s open to interpretation, and different people may have different definitions of what qualifies. For example, if a teacher smokes marijuana while on vacation in California, where marijuana is legal, is that an act of moral turpitude? The teacher wasn’t working and wasn’t violating the law, even though recreational use of marijuana remains illegal in Georgia.

Investigation and Disciplinary Procedure

The disciplinary process generally begins with a complaint. GaSPC will investigate the accusations made against the teacher, which can include gathering evidence and interviewing the teacher or other involved parties.

Teachers shouldn’t assume investigations will be comprehensive or that they’ll uncover all relevant information. Educators who are accused of misconduct should take every opportunity to present their version of events as well as relevant evidence. The Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm works with our clients to gather and organize evidence to build strong cases.

After the investigation, the GaSPC will vote on whether to sanction a teacher. Teachers can either agree to the proposed sanctions or request an administrative hearing. Educators have thirty days to request a hearing.

All hearings take place in Atlanta. The Office of State Administrative Hearings (OSAH) appoints a judge to the hearing. The judge will review the evidence and hear from witnesses, after which the judge will make their initial decision. These decisions may feature sanctions more severe than those proposed by GaSPC.

If teachers agree with the recommended sanctions, they can accept them. If teachers disagree with the hearing’s decision, they have 30 days to appeal to the Superior Court.

An attorney with the LLF National Law Firm can help teachers weigh the pros and cons of whether to accept sanctions at each step in the process. In some cases, accepting the GaSPC’s initial proposed sanctions may make the most sense. The teacher’s specific situation, the scope of GaSPC’s initial investigation, and other details can help determine the best course of action.

In other cases, requesting a hearing or appealing may be a teacher’s best option. The Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm helps our clients know when to appeal, make sure they file all relevant documents before deadlines, and prepare for hearings.

Possible Sanctions

Georgia has a range of sanctions, from minor to major, that the GaSPC can levy against teachers. They can also impose multiple sanctions on a teacher for the same misconduct incident.

Teachers in Georgia face the following sanctions:

• Warnings are in writing and don’t affect an educator’s license or ability to teach.

• Reprimands are more serious than warnings and also don’t affect an educator’s license or ability to teach.

• With monitoring, a teacher can continue to work, but only if they cooperate with the GaSPC. While being monitored, teachers must agree to quarterly performance reviews.

• Suspension temporarily bars an educator from teaching. Suspensions last for a set period of time. If a teaching license expires during a suspension, a teacher must apply for a new one.

• Teaching applicants may have their application denied. Applicants can appeal to GaSPC and may also be able to reapply, but neither is guaranteed.

• For the most serious misconduct cases, a teacher may have their teaching certificate revoked. This means individuals cannot teach, work, or volunteer as an educator in Georgia. Teachers may reapply after three years.

Even if sanctions don’t affect a teacher’s license and ability to work, additional misconduct may result in more serious disciplinary action. If a teacher has faced previous disciplinary action against them, even if minor, it may lead to more serious sanctions for additional accusations of misconduct.

Sanctions in Georgia may also affect a teacher’s ability to work in other states. Each state sets its guidelines for when teachers must report disciplinary action in other states and how that affects their ability to work in that state.

While teachers shouldn’t report sanctions unless required, they should check with each state’s laws and regulations before applying, or if they already have a license in another state. In many states, failure to report sanctions can result in misconduct accusations in that state.

Teacher License Defense in Alabama

In Alabama, the authority to discipline teachers falls on the State Superintendent of Education. Teachers in Alabama are expected to follow the Educator Code of Ethics.

Grounds for Misconduct

Alabama educators are expected to meet standards of conduct listed in the Code of Ethics. Failing to meet these standards may result in allegations of misconduct and disciplinary action.

The nine standards are:

• Professional conduct

• Trustworthiness

• Unlawful acts

• Teacher/student relationship

• Alcohol, drug, and tobacco use or possession

• Public funds and property

• Remunerative conduct

• Maintenance of confidentiality

• Abandonment of contact

Teachers may also face disciplinary action for any other good and sufficient cause.

While the state does provide examples of how to meet these standards, some are vague and open to interpretation. This means that teachers may face arbitrary or inconsistent expectations and requirements for what it means to meet these standards.

Teachers are expected to report known or suspected breaches of any of these standards. They’re also expected to know how and where to report any suspected unethical or unprofessional conduct. The general requirement is that educators must report within 60 days, although there are exceptions to this rule.

Disciplinary Process in Alabama

In general, accusations of misconduct against a teacher will follow these steps:

• Complaint

• Review of complaint

• Investigation

  • Teachers aren’t always informed that they’re being investigated.

  • Evidence can include documents, electronic records, and interviews.

• Written notice of proposed action

  • This notice will explain why the Department of Education is pursuing disciplinary action against an educator and what disciplinary action will be taken.

  • All notices should include a reminder of a teacher’s rights throughout the process.

• Request for a hearing

  • In general, teachers must request a hearing within 15 days.

• Potential settlement

  • This isn’t a mandatory step, and teachers may or may not wish to open settlement discussions.

• Hearing

• Similar to a trial, both sides have the opportunity to present their case to a hearing officer.

• The hearing officer will submit their written recommendation for proposed disciplinary action to the State Superintendent of Education.

• Final order

• Request a rehearing

• Optional, only necessary if a teacher disagrees with the final order.

• Final appeal to an Alabama state court

• Optional, only necessary if a teacher disagrees with the outcome of the rehearing.

Several of these steps have deadlines, and failing to meet them often ends a teacher’s ability to contest the charges against them. It’s important that teachers pay attention to deadlines and submit all relevant paperwork on time.

The Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm assists our clients throughout the process. We help them understand their options and highlight the pros and cons of different choices at each step. For example, some teachers may find their best option is to accept a proposed settlement. Others would be best served by opting for a hearing.

Possible Sanctions

If a teacher is disciplined in Alabama, they may face the following sanctions:

• Public reprimands. Educators can continue to teach, and their license is unaffected. Given reprimands are public, they may affect a teacher’s reputation and could impact their ability to find jobs.

  • As part of a public reprimand, teachers may have to complete additional training or agree to periodic status updates with the Department of Education. 

• Suspension. Alabama may suspend a teaching certificate for a set period of time, until a teacher satisfies certain conditions, or both.

• Denial. In some cases, Alabama may refuse to issue or renew a teaching certificate.

• Revocation. The most serious disciplinary action, revocation, means an educator loses their teacher credential and ability to teach in Alabama.

  • Certain criminal convictions, such as rape and murder, can result in an immediate revocation of a teaching certificate.

Teachers may or may not be able to teach in other states following disciplinary action by Alabama. Each state sets its rules for when teachers must notify them of disciplinary action in other states.

While teachers shouldn’t volunteer this information unless required, they should be aware of when they are required to disclose disciplinary action. Many states have rules that failure to disclose required information can result in disciplinary action.

The Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm works with our clients to defend against misconduct accusations. We also help our clients understand the best steps to take and how to minimize disciplinary action if they are subjected to sanctions.

Protect Your Career

For teachers, there’s no such thing as a minor accusation of misconduct. Such allegations can have a serious impact on your career, your reputation, and your future.

Navigating the disciplinary process and knowing the best way to defend against the accusations can seem overwhelming.

The Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm assists our educators with misconduct allegations. We help teachers build evidence-based cases and determine the best way to respond, given their specific circumstances. If you’re a teacher in the Atlanta area, call us at 888-535-3686 or fill out our online form.