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A Nevada judge, Crystal Eller, issued a preliminary injunction halting what she deemed a teachers' strike within the Clark County School District. This decision came after the district closed eight schools in just seven days due to a surge in teacher sick calls.
During the hearing, Judge Eller emphasized that the situation unequivocally constituted a strike, based on overwhelming circumstantial evidence. She instructed the district's attorneys to draft a new injunction to officially terminate the strike.
The Clark County School District and a teachers' union were in court due to the district's request for a temporary restraining order to end an alleged sickout, which had caused a significant increase in staff absences. This dispute unfolded amid ongoing contract negotiations.
The district claimed that educators, represented by the Clark County Education Association, orchestrated a coordinated sickout strike, resulting in the closure of multiple schools and severe disruptions. Nevada law prohibits strikes by public sector employees, and the district argued that the absences amounted to a strike, a claim disputed by the union's lawyer.
The district sought court intervention to address the situation, contending that it was part of a broader campaign by the union to pressure the district into more favorable contract terms.
The union, on the other hand, denied knowledge of the absences and any association with the actions leading to the school closures. The situation remained contentious, with the union arguing that there was no evidence of illegitimate sick calls orchestrated by the union.