Huntsville City Schools refused to grant an open records request for a copy of the list of "ineffective teachers" that was presented to principals last year, leading to a lawsuit filed Thursday by the Huntsville Education Association.

The HEA, an organization that represents and advocates for its members who work for the Huntsville school system, filed suit in Madison County Circuit Court against the school system as well as Superintendent Casey Wardynski and the school board.

The HEA also said in the lawsuit that the school system violated state law in developing a new policy for evaluating teachers without consulting with the HEA.

The school system did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.

The HEA is seeking a preliminary injunction against the school system requiring that the list of ineffective teachers be turned over and to confer with the HEA before adopting new policies.

The lawsuit traced its roots to a December meeting Wardynski and board attorneys held with meeting with school principals. The presentation was titled "Guidance in Dealing with Teachers Who Are Not Effective" and is a "step-by-step policy on observing, evaluating and documenting the work of teachers that Dr. Wardynski and the board believe to be ineffective," the lawsuit said.

At the conclusion of the presentation, the lawsuit said, each principal was supplied with the new evaluation policy and a binder containing the names of teachers considered ineffective by Wardynski and the board.

A week later, the HEA submitted an open records request to the school system for a copy of the binders. The school board responded with a letter dating Jan. 16 refusing to produce the records requested, the lawsuit said.

HEA submitted a second open records request in March, the lawsuit said.

HEA is seeking a declaratory judgment from Circuit Judge James Smith, who was assigned the case, that would mandate the school system provide the requested records and comply with state law regarding meeting and conferring with the HEA on developing policies that would affect its members.