An attorney representing an ousted DeKalb County school board member says lawmakers in 2010 exceeded their authority when they gave the governor the ability to remove locally-elected school board members.

Thomas Cox, who represents former board member Eugene Davis, filed a 31-page brief April 19 saying Gov. Nathan Deal stepped on the rights of voters when he removed six DeKalb County school board members from their posts after the district was put on probation by an accreditation agency.

Cox argues school boards are established by the state Constitution and members of those boards are elected by voters and can only be removed from office through a recall process.

The state Attorney General's office has 20 days to respond to the brief.

Tags: politics, Nathan Deal, accreditation, DeKalb County schools, school accreditation, school board removal, DeKalb County school board