Three high-ranking former educators convicted in the Atlanta Public Schools test-cheating case will have a hearing to be resentenced on April 30.
Former regional directors Tamara Cotman, Sharon Davis-Williams and Michael Pitts were sentenced last week along with five other convicted former educators involved in the landmark cheating case. The three regional directors were given the heftiest punishment — 20 years, seven years to be served in prison and 13 years on probation.
A clerk for Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter said Cotman, Davis-Williams and Pitts will be resentenced on April 30. Details as to why the convicted educators will be resentenced could not be confirmed Monday.
Ben Davis, the attorney for regional director Tamara Cotman, told the AJC he had not confirmed that Judge Baxter had decided to resentence three high-ranking former administrators, but he has submitted a court filing disputing the legality of the judge’s sentence, given the charges.
Eleven former educators were found guilty April 1 in the test cheating case. Last week, eight received hefty prison sentences, while two others admitted guilt and received lesser punishments. The 11th educator recently delivered a son and will be up for sentencing in August.
Twenty-one pleaded guilty before the trial to less serious crimes. Several members of the community protested the sentences and many of the educators maintained their innocence and say they plan to appeal.
Teresa Mann, who represents Davis-Williams told the AJC as of Monday evening she had not been contacted by the judge’s office about a possible resentencing, but said it was an appropriate step.
“It would go a long way to righting what I believe was an unfair sentence,” she said.
George Lawson, who represents Pitts, could not be reached.
Return to AJC.com for updates on this developing story.
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