# C o u rt o f

A p p ea ls

o f t h e S t a te o f

G eo rg ia

ATLANTA,_

_ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Th e Co u rt

o f Ap p ea l s h er eb y p a s s es t h e f

o ll owi n g o r der :

A1 8 D0 00 2

. BRENDA GATES et a l

. v

. TAYLOR COUNTY SCHOOL

DI STRI CT et a l

.

Th e ap p l i can t s fi led a p et i t i o n fo r wr i t o f m an d am u s

, d ecl arat o ry ju d g m en t

,

i n ju n ct i v e rel i ef, an d fo r l ea v e o f c o u r t to fi l e in fo rm at i o n i n t h e n at ure o f a q u o

warran t o ag ai n st t h e res p o n d en t s Tay l or C o u n t y Sch o ol Di s t ri ct an d each o f t h e

m em b ers o f t h e T ay l o r Co u n t y Bo ard o f Ed u cat i o n a n d Su p eri n t en d en t i n t h ei r

o ffi ci al an d i n d iv id u al cap aci t i es

. Am o n g o th er t h i n g s

, t h e ap p l i can t s s o u g h t a wri t

o f m an d am

u s t o co m

p el t he res p on d en t s t o res t o re t h e e m p l o y m en t of t h e p ri o r

s u p eri n t en d en t an d en

jo i n t h e res p o n d en t s fro m u n lawfu l ly t erm i n at i n g t h e p ri o r

s u p eri n t en d en t ’ s em

p l o y m en t

. Th e res p o n d en t s fi l ed a m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s o r fo r

ju d g m en t o n t he p lead i n gs

. Th e t ri al co u rt g ran t ed t h e m o t i o n a n d di s m i s s ed t h e

p et i t i o n w i t h p reju d i ce. Th e ap p l i can t s t h en fi l ed t h i s t i m e l y a p p l i cat i o n fo r

d i s cret i o n ary

rev i ew. 1

It ap p ears t h at t h e o r d e r t h e ap p l i can t s s eek t o ap p eal i s d i rect l y ap peal ab l e.

Al l ju d g m en t s o r o rd ers g ran ti n g o r refu s i n g t o g ran t m an d am u s o r i n ju n ct iv e rel i ef

are di rect l y ap p eal ab l e. O CGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (4 ) an d (6 ). W e wi l l g ran t an o t h erwi s e

t i m el y ap p l i cat i o n fo r d i s cret i on ary ap p eal if t h e l o wer co u rt ’ s ord er i s s u b j e c t to

d i rect ap p eal

. See O C G A § 5 -6 -3 5 (j). A cco rd i n g l y

, t h i s ap pl i cat io n i s h ereb y

GRANTED, an d th e ap p l i can t s s h al l h av e t en d ay s fro m t h e d at e of t h i s o rd er t o fi l e

1 Th e ap p l i can t s o ri g i n al l y fi l ed t h ei r ap p l i cat i o n i n t h e Geo rg i a Su p rem e

Co u rt

, wh i ch t ran s ferred it t o t h i s Co u rt

. See Cas e No

. S1 7 D1 7 7 6 (d eci d ed J u n e 2 9,

2 0 1 7 ). August 07, 2017a n o ti ce o f ap p eal wi t h t h e t ri al co u rt

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 (g ). If t h ey h av e al read y

fi led s u ch n o t i ce o f ap p eal i n t h e t ri al co u rt

, t hey n eed n o t fi l e a s eco n d n ot i ce. Th e

cl erk of t h e t ri al co u rt i s DI RECTED t o i n cl u de a co p y o f th i s o rd er i n t h e reco rd

t ran s m i t t ed t o t h e Co u rt o f Ap p eal s

.

C o u r t o f A p p e a l s o f t h e S t a t e o

f G e o r g ia

C le r k ’ s O f f i c e

, A t la n t a

,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I c e r ti fy t h a t t h e a b o v e is a tr u e e x t r a c t f r o m

t h e m i n u t e s o

f t h e C o u r t o

f A p p e a l s o f G e o r g i a

.

W i tn e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d t h e s e a l o

f s a i d c o u r t

h e r e t o a f f i x e d t h e d a y a n d y e a r l a s t a b o v e w r i t t e n

.

, C l e r k

. 08/07/2017