HOLYOKE -- Following months of pending litigation, Agustin Morales, a former teacher in Holyoke and current president of the teacher's union, has been invited back to teach in the district.

Terms of the agreement invite Morales to work in the district full time, in exchange for withdrawing all pending grievances and claims, including a complaint pending with the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations that alleges Morales was fired in retaliation for criticizing educational reform.

Morales believes his contract was not renewed in retaliation for criticizing educational reform -- including testing, data walls and administrative changes -- in Holyoke Public Schools.

"I wasn't surprised when I received the letter. I spoke out. I knew the risk," Morales said in June. "I'd just hoped we could act like adults and have a civil discourse."

A week after Morales was laid off from his position, the Holyoke Teachers Association filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations on his behalf. The complaint alleges that Morales was fired in retaliation for criticizing educational reform.

The state announced in a preliminary finding in September there is probable cause in the complaint. "Based on the evidence presented during this investigation, I have found probable cause to believe that a violation occurred," Brian K. Harrington, of the Department of Labor Relations, wrote. "Therefore, this Complaint of Prohibited Practice shall issue, and the parties will be given the opportunity to be heard for the purpose of determining the following allegations."

Immediately following the preliminary state finding, Morales said at a press conference held outside a school committee meeting that he'd "much rather have the school committee do the right thing, put me back in the classroom, avoid the messiness of a full-scale hearing and allow us to improve schools for the students of Holyoke."

He added, "The Massachusetts Department of Labor has sent [Holyoke Public Schools] a message: There is probable cause to believe that the administration violated the law in the way they retaliated against me."

RELATED: Massachusetts Teachers Association applauds return of former Holyoke teacher to classroom

For several months, the Holyoke School Committee has gone into executive session to discuss pending litigation against the district, specifically citing Morales on several agendas.

"The school committee was persuaded that an attempt should be made to negotiate a settlement because of issues that arose with the interpretation and implementation of the new evaluation process that was followed in evaluating Mr. Morales' performance as a teacher during the last school year," Massachusetts Teachers Association said in a press release. "Compliance by both parties with the district's teacher evaluation procedures is of paramount importance. Therefore, the parties have agreed that upon his return, good faith efforts will be made by both Mr. Morales and the district to satisfy their respective responsibilities under the district's teacher evaluation procedures."

The release states that all the parties involved are anxious to move forward in this matter and focus on what's in "the best interest of the children and families served by all the parties."