Taylor P. Brooks

Service Areas

Education & School Law
Employment Law
Employment Litigation
Employment Discrimination
Civil Rights Litigation
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Business Disputes

Profile

Mr. Brook’s primarily practices labor and employment law. He represents businesses and public entities in personnel and disciplinary proceedings. He handles transfers, suspensions, and terminations for school boards.

In his practice, he has addressed charges of discrimination and retaliation before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), complaints under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), complaints under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), defense of employment-related claims in state and federal courts (including claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliatory discharge), and preparation of employee handbooks and personnel policies.

Representative Cases

Mr. Brooks has successfully represented school systems and school administrators in numerous lawsuits. Some of those cases include—

Moore v. Tyson, 2021 WL 649155 (Ala. Feb. 19, 2021).  A student sued her teacher for an injury suffered in the classroom.  The Alabama Supreme Court upheld State-agent immunity for the teacher.

Burks v. Huntsville City Board of Education, 2020 WL 1235392 (N.D. Ala. March 13, 2020).  A teacher who had been terminated after a Students First Act hearing sued the Huntsville City Board of Education and board members alleging violations of First Amendment and right to due process.  The U.S. District Court granted summary judgment for the board of education and board members.

Bailer v. Jackson County Board of Education, 2019 WL 5265326 (N.D. Ala. Oct. 10, 2019).  A former employee of a board of education asserted that he had been forced to resign because he supported the opponent of the superintendent in an election. The former employee filed suit against the board of education and other defendants alleging retaliation in violation of his First Amendment right to freedom of association. The U. S. District Court granted summary judgment in favor of all defendants and dismissed the case.

Bragg v. Huntsville City Board of Education, 2018 WL 4615853 (N.D. Ala. Sept. 26, 2018).  A teacher sued the Huntsville City Board of Education alleging age discrimination.  The U.S. District Court granted summary judgment in favor of the board of education. 

Daniel v. Huntsville City Board of Education, 2018 WL 1746528 (N.D. Ala. April 11, 2018). The employment of a probationary teacher was terminated. This teacher sued the board of education and two employees alleging race discrimination, race harassment, and retaliation. The U.S. District Court granted summary judgment in favor of all defendants and dismissed the case.

Brown v. Huntsville City Board of Education, 324 F.R.D. 239 (N.D. 2018). A teacher sued the school board alleging failure to promote on the basis of race and in retaliation for filing EEOC charges. The U.S. District Court granted summary judgment in favor of the board of education and dismissed the case.

Jones v. Cherokee County Board of Education, 2017 WL 4517248 (N.D. Ala. Oct. 10, 2017). This lawsuit alleged that the board of education failed to protect a student from being assaulted by the parent of another student during a school football practice. The U.S. District Court granted the board ’s motion to dismiss the Section 1983 claim and remanded the remaining state law causes of action to the Cherokee County Circuit Court, which ultimately dismissed all claims against the board of education.

Gaines v. Wardynski, 871 F.3d 1203 (11th Cir. 2017). A teacher sued a local school board and a school superintendent, alleging that she was denied a promotion in violation of her First Amendment right to free speech and intimate association. On summary judgment, the superintendent argued that he was entitled to qualified immunity. When the district court denied the superintendent’s motion for summary judgment, an interlocutory appeal was filed. The appeals court reversed the district court's decision and held that the superintendent was entitled to qualified immunity from all claims.

Crutch v. Lawrence County Board of Education, 2014 WL 3889898 (N.D. Ala. 2014). A teacher sued a school board, the superintendent, and a school principal alleging her employment was terminated because of her race. The United States District Court granted summary judgment in favor of all defendants.

Huntsville City Board of Education v. Jacobs, 194 So.3d 929 (Ala. Civ. App.  2014).  The Huntsville City Board of Education terminated a teacher pursuant to the Students First Act.  A hearing officer reversed the termination.  The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals reversed the hearing officer and upheld the board’s decision to terminate the teacher.

Lewis v. DeKalb County Board of Education, 2013 WL 6073519 (N.D. Ala. 2013). The plaintiff, a student, alleged that his constitutional rights were violated as a result of receiving corporal punishment at school. The student filed suit against the school board, school board members, the superintendent, and other employees. The United States chief magistrate judge ruled in favor of the school board, school board members, the superintendent, and the other employees.

Baugh v. Muscle Shoals Board of Education, 2013 WL 3458594 (N.D. Ala. 2013). The plaintiff alleged the school board and its superintendent discriminated against her on the basis of her race by electing not to renew her employment contract as a science teacher. The U.S. District Court granted summary judgment in favor of the school board and its superintendent.

Cobb v. Florence City Board of Education, 2013 WL 5295777 (N.D. Ala. 2013). The plaintiff alleged he was terminated and then not rehired because of his race and his alleged disability and in retaliation for taking FMLA leave. The U.S. District Court granted summary judgment in favor of the school board.

Payne v. Oneonta City Board of Education, 2013 WL 1490926 (N.D. Ala. 2013) and 2012 WL 7870201 (N.D. Ala. 2012).  The plaintiff alleged he was not hired because of his race, age, and gender.  A United States magistrate judge recommended that summary judgment be granted in favor of the school board and a U.S. district judge adopted the recommendation and entered summary judgment in favor of the school board.

Raper v. Morgan County Board of Education, 2013 WL 988081 (N.D. Ala.2013). The plaintiff alleged that the school board, superintendent, and board members discriminated against him on the basis of age and gender when he was not promoted to the position of director of a program for exceptional students. The U.S. District Court granted summary judgment in favor of all defendants.

Massey v. Womack, 105 So.3d 1213 (Ala. Civ. App. 2012). The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals affirmed a school board’s position that a Head Start employee did not have to be paid in accordance with state’s minimum-salary schedule for school nurses.

Ex parte Boaz City Board. of Education, 82 So.3d 660 (Ala. 2011). A kindergarten teacher, who allegedly was struck with paddle by a superintendent, brought action against the school board, the board’s members, and the superintendent, asserting claims of defamation and assault and battery. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled in favor of the school board and school board members, finding that the school board and board members were entitled to absolute immunity under the Alabama Constitution.

Publications

“Alabama Supreme Court Contravenes United States Supreme Court Due Process Jurisprudence: Stallworth v. City of Evergreen,” Alabama Law Review (1998).

Presentations

A Practical Guide to Employee Terminations Under the Students First Act, Summer Meeting, Alabama Association of School Boards, Orange Beach, Alabama, June 17, 2018.

Professional Affiliations

• Alabama Association of School Board Attorneys
  Member of Board of Directors, 2014
• American Bar Association
• Alabama Bar Association
• Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association

Education

• J.D., cum laude, 1998, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
  Senior Editor, Alabama Law Review
• B.A., 1995, History, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Bar Admissions

Alabama, 1998

Court Admissions

• United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
• United States District Courts
  Northern District of Alabama
  Middle District of Alabama
• All Alabama state courts

Community Involvement

Member, Board of Directors, International Services Council of Alabama, 2006-2013

Other Experience

Law Clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Blackburn, Birmingham, AL, 1998-1999