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Federal Hocking’s former principal files his second legal action seeking to get his job back

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — The former principal at Federal Hocking High School is asking a judge to order the school district to give him his job back.

A man with glasses and a tie sits looking pensively.
Federal Hocking High School Principal Jake Amlin had strong support from community members, but the district still accepted the superintendent’s recommendation not to renew his contract. [Theo Peck-Suzuki | WOUB/Report for America]
This is the second time Jake Amlin has filed a legal action challenging the Federal Hocking school board’s decision in April to not renew his contract.

The first time was in July, when Amlin sued the school district for breach of contract. The district then filed a motion asking the judge to dismiss the lawsuit.

The district argued in its motion that Amlin was pursuing the wrong legal remedy. Instead of making a breach of contract claim, Amlin should have sought a writ of mandamus, the district argued.

A writ of mandamus is an order from a court telling government officials they need to fulfill their legal duties.

Amlin voluntarily dismissed his first lawsuit, and last week he filed a petition for writ of mandamus in the Athens County Court of Common Pleas. Amlin argues in his petition that under the terms of his contract, the school board was required to do certain performance evaluations.

If these evaluations are not done, state law requires that the contract be automatically extended, according to Amlin’s petition. Amlin argues the board did not evaluate his performance as required, and therefore his contract should be extended for at least one if not two years.

Amlin is asking the judge to order that he be reinstated as principal at the salary he was earning before and that he receive back pay and benefits for the time he was out of the position.

The school board meeting in April was packed with parents, students and others who supported Amlin. In a statement after its vote not to renew the principal’s contract, the board said in a statement that it was not satisfied with Amlin’s performance. The board president referenced declining test scores that were well below the state average and high chronic absenteeism well above average.