A judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against Colorado Springs District 11 by its teachers union, Colorado Springs Education Association (CSEA), because its claims are now moot.

The suit, filed in September 2024, stems from D-11’s decision to implement a block schedule for the 2023-24 school year.

The union alleged that the district made adjustments to the schedule without the proper procedure of dispute with the union, resulting in union members spending extra time teaching without compensation.

District and union representatives proceeded to mediation and non-binding arbitration in January 2024 with Judge John Madden, who found that D-11 violated its agreement with the union and ordered both parties to conduct a collaborative review of the block schedule and alternatives.

CSEA requested damages in the form of lost pay, which was denied.

The union filed its complaint after alleging that all remedies had been exhausted, and sought to have D-11 comply with the agreement and “an award of damages for teachers who have taught additional classes as a result of the move to a block schedule.”

The district filed a motion for partial summary judgment on June 23, 2025, claiming that the court didn’t have the jurisdiction to decide the wage dispute and that CSEA didn’t follow the dispute resolution outlined in the agreement.

The agreement expired June 30, 2025.

On Aug. 6, 2025, the court, not knowing it had expired, granted the district’s motion and dismissed CSEA’s claim of lost wages without prejudice and instructed the union to follow the agreement’s dispute resolution. Upon learning of its expiration, the court asked the plaintiff to clarify its requested relief and why this case wasn’t now moot.

CSEA argued that union members “are still being affected by this breach” while they are employed by the district. The court disagreed and ultimately ruled that any ruling would have no practical legal effect since its claims of damages and prior court order hinged on the terms of the agreement that are no longer applicable, making the case moot.

District Judge Gregory R. Werner dismissed the case with prejudice on March 24.