Legal fees could hurt Gardendale schools

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - The city of Gardendale is still assessing it’s next move after a federal judge ordered the city’s school system to pay $850,000 in legal fees. The city attempted to break away from Jefferson County schools and create its own school system, but the same judge stopped the separation saying the breakup was racially motivated.

Gardendale Mayor Stan Hogeland received the order from US District Court Judge Madeline Haikala Christmas Eve. It awarded legal fees to the NAACP Legal defense fund and Birmingham civil rights attorney UW Clemon.

The judge ruled Gardendale acted in Bad Faith when it tried to set up its own school system. The city voted for a new tax to fund the school system and creating its own school board. The NAACP and Clemon filed suit, saying the decision to form their own school system was racially motivated since the city was mostly white.

Mayor Hogeland says e has talked with the city attorney but he needs to speak with the city council--which won’t happen until after the holidays--before they decide to pay the money or appeal the ruling.

“It seems every time we try to take a step forward we take two steps back We got to deal with this and money we thought could be used for our schools may not be,” Hogeland said.

Hogeland said money from the tax could pay the legal fees but that will have to be decided by the city council. The mayor said he does take exception to the judge’s findings that the city acted in bad faith.

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