The central question in this case is whether the plaintiff, Emma Jean Huff, was entitled to the procedural protections afforded by Georgia’s Fair Dismissal Act, OCGA § 20-2-940 et seq. “FDA”, when the Talbot County School District failed to renew her employment contract to serve as a school administrator for the 2005-2006 school year. The trial court concluded that Huff was entitled to these protections and denied summary judgment to the defendants, the superintendent of the Talbot County School District and the members of the Talbot County Board of Education. After a bench trial on damages, the trial court entered judgment in favor of Huff, leading to this appeal. For the reasons discussed below, we conclude that Huff was not entitled to the FDA’s procedural protections, and so we reverse the judgment and remand for entry of summary judgment in favor of the defendants. On appeal from the denial . . . of summary judgment, this Court must conduct a de novo review of the evidence to determine whether there exists a genuine issue of material fact, and whether the undisputed facts, viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, warrant judgment as a matter of law. Northwest Carpets v. First Nat. Bank of Chatsworth , 280 Ga. 535, 538 1 630 SE2d 407 2006. See OCGA § 9-11-56 c. So viewed, the record shows that Huff was employed as a teacher and high school counselor in the Talbot County School District from January 1968 through June 1994. Following the 1993-1994 school year, Huff resigned her employment and took a position in the Crawford County School District as an elementary school counselor.
Following three years in Crawford County, Huff returned to the Talbot County School District as an elementary school counselor for the 1998-1999 school year. She continued her employment as a counselor for the successive 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 school years. Huff then accepted the administrative position of high school principal in the Talbot County School District beginning with the 2002-2003 school year. Huff remained employed there as a principal for the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 school years.
