Chicago Board of Education votes to fire CPS CEO Pedro Martinez

The Chicago Board of Education voted unanimously to fire Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez at its meeting Friday night.

Hours before the board of directors meeting began, Martínez filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against the board and the seven members individually. The board members, who were appointed by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, are: Olga Bautista, Michilla Blaise, Mary Gardner, Sean Harden, Frank Niles Thomas, Deborah Pope and Rafael Yáñez.

Martinez is seeking a temporary restraining order, a preliminary injunction and a permanent injunction to try to stop the board from taking action against him at Friday night’s board meeting.

In the lawsuit, Martinez and his attorneys allege that the board violated the terms of its contract. Martinez says he also opposes taking out a short-term, high-interest $300 million loan to pay for a proposed teacher contract. The loan has been a bone of contention for months between Martinez and Johnson, as well as their allies within the Chicago Teachers Union.

The lawsuit also alleges that Johnson asked Martinez to resign on September 18, but Martinez refused. The mayor does not have the authority to fire Martínez; That responsibility falls to the board.

On October 4, all seven members of the previous school board, who were also appointed by Johnson, resigned rather than fire Martinez. Johnson named new board members on October 7 in a passionate press conference.

Weeks later, the school board’s incoming president, the Rev. Mitchell Johnson, also resigned from the board after city leaders said posts he made on social media were anti-Semitic and misogynistic.