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Kentucky Finds 1,000 Teachers Violated Law During ‘Sickouts’
By: Associated Press
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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky’s labor secretary says more than 1,000 teachers violated state law by participating in mass rallies at the state Capitol that forced some schools to close.
But Labor Secretary David Dickerson says no penalties will be assessed. Dickerson is part of Republican Gov. Matt Bevin’s administration.
Dickerson said Friday that his agency completed its investigation into teacher sickouts that shut down some schools earlier this year.
Dickerson says the investigation found more than 1,000 teachers violated Kentucky law, which prohibits work stoppages by public-sector employees. He says the agency could have assessed civil penalties up to $1,000 per person for each day away from work.
The protests over several education bills were part of a wave of teacher activism that began last year in West Virginia and spread to other states, including Oklahoma and Arizona.