RALEIGH (WTVD) -- The N.C. Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that an attempt by the North Carolina General Assembly to strip teachers of "career status" - called teacher tenure by many - is unconstitutional.The ruling upholds a Superior Court decision in the case.Under the law, tenure would be completely phased out by 2018. In 2013, the North Carolina Association of Educators sued, and last year Superior Court Judge Robert Hobgood ruled that eliminating tenure was unconstitutional. The decision did not apply to teachers who had yet to earn tenure.Tenure gives public school teachers extra due process rights, including the right to a hearing if they're disciplined or fired.Supporters of the new law said it will promote better classroom performance, but teachers argue it could lead to quick firings without much reason."We are pleased the court heard the voices of educators and found that teachers cannot be stripped of their due process rights," said NCAE President Rodney Ellis in a statement Tuesday.