A judge has granted the state Board of Education's request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas over authority to oversee and fire the board's staff.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Patricia Starr ruled Tuesday that part of Douglas' suit was a "political question" inappropriate for a court to decide. The judge also said other parts of the suit were too abstract to warrant a court ruling.
Douglas contended she has the right to hire and fire board employees, while the board argued that state law allows the board to direct its staff.
A lawyer for the board called the lawsuit "a dispute about power and control" that Douglas started when she fired two board aides in February. Gov. Doug Ducey canceled those firings.
