Randall C. Farmer

Professional Organizations and Memberships

• Chair, School and College Law Section for Georgia Bar Association; Member, Employment Law Section for Georgia Bar Association
• Georgia Counsel of School Attorneys
• Association of Workplace Investigators (Member)
• ATIXA (Member) Trained Title IX Investigator

Randall Farmer, a member of GDCR’s Education Law practice group, has more than 20 years of experience advising school districts. He works with large and small school districts throughout the state of Georgia. He works regularly with clients such as Clayton County School District and Marietta City School District.

He also has represented school districts throughout the state of Georgia, including but not limited to the Fulton County School District, Cobb County School District, DeKalb County School District, Cherokee County School District, Thomas County School District, Sumter County School District, Burke County School District, Mitchell County School District, Tift County School District, Murray County School District, Walker County School District, Randolph County School District, Hancock County School District, Elbert County School District, and Lanier County School District.

In terms of litigation, Mr. Farmer has successfully handled Title VII claims, claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act, claims under the Family Medical Leave Act, Section 504 claims, ADEA claims, Fair Dismissal Act cases, Fair Labor Standards Act cases, Title IX claims, tort claims, contract claims, First Amendment cases, Fourth Amendment cases, False Arrest and Malicious Prosecution claims, and allegations of Open Records Act violations.

He provides legal advice to school districts on Title IX investigations, Title VI investigation, EEOC investigations, risk management issues, personal injury claims, FERPA confidentiality issues, contractual issues, procurement issues, student issues, and compliance with the Open Records Act. Mr. Farmer is also the primary contact for the firm for a major insurance company on school district liability claims.

Mr. Farmer also provides legal advice to school districts on a variety of special education issues, including IEP meeting attendance, drafting responses to complaints to the Georgia Department of Education, drafting responses to complaints to the Office of Civil Rights, and defending school districts at due process hearing requests.

He received his J.D. from the University of Georgia, School of Law’ his M. Ed. from Harvard University and his B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is admitted in the following courts: Georgia, Supreme Court of Georgia, U.S. Supreme Court, Georgia Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia,  the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

Some of Mr. Farmer’s notable achievements on behalf of his clients include:

Education Law:

• Ellis v. Williams (Cobb County Superior Court Case No.: 17-1-08061) Obtained summary judgment based on official immunity for a wrestling coach in Clayton County Schools regarding his alleged failure to detect a skin disease prior to a wrestling a match.
• Yates v. Cobb County School District (U.S.D.C. 1:15-cv-3211) (11th Cir. 16-15882) obtained dismissal of First and Fourth
• Amendment claims; 11th Circuit affirmed;
• Summer Anderson v. Pam Postell, Cherokee County School District (Ga Ct of Appeals Case No. A15A1186) successfully
• defended personal injury case based on official immunity;
• Long v. Fulton County School District (U.S.D.C. Case No. 1:10-CV-3033) obtained dismissal of Title IX claim;
• Hughes, et al v. Fulton County School (R. Allen Hughes, et al. v. Fulton County School System, et al, CAFN: 2012-cv-222449)
• obtained dismissal of injunctive relief case involving Charter School constitutional amendment ballot measure;
• S.H. v. Clayton County School District (U.S.D.C. Case No. 1:16-cv-0126) obtained dismissal without discovery of school district,
• superintendent and principal in student harassment case;
• Cox v. Clayton County School District (U.S.D.C. Case No. 1:17 cv 159) Federal Court granted motion for summary judgment on First Amendment claim

Special Education Law:

• J.W., by and through K.W. v. DeKalb County School District (OSAH No. 2311416);
• VM v. Clayton County School District (OSHA No. 1735860);
• XP v. Cobb County School District (OSHA No. 1732905);
• A.O. v. Cobb County School District (OSHA No. 1724749);
• R.C. v. Cobb County School District (OSAH-DOE-CPEXP-1705013-33);
• B.Q. v. Cobb County School District (OSAH No. 1804044);
• S.S. v. Cobb County School District (OSAH No. 1741135);
• Durbrow v. Cobb County School District, 887 F.3d 1182 (11th Cir. 2018)

Employment Law:

• Davion Battle v. DeKalb County School District (Superior Court of DeKalb County, 19CV8622) awarded summary judgment to the school district on Plaintiff’s claims of alleged violations of Title VII, ADA, breach of contract and various Georgia tort claims;
• Monique Caldwell (U.S.D.C. Case No. 1:13-cv-01797) awarded summary judgment in FMLA case;
• Sheila Lamar (U.S.D.C. Case No. 1:13-cv-1600) awarded summary judgment in Title VII case;
• Wanda Smith (U.S.D.C. Case No. 1:10-cv-848), Constance Rolland (U.S.D.C. Case No. 1:10-cv-2173), Brian Popham (U.S.D.C.
• Case No. 1:10-cv-2174) successfully defended First Amendment retaliation claims;
• Bynum v. Clayton County School District (U.S.D.C. 1:16-cv-00001) obtained dismissal of FLSA case;
• Burnett v. Fulton County School District (U.S.D.C. Case No. 1:07-cv-300) Title VII case against Fulton County School District
• based on Title VII;
• Keegan v. Clayton County School District (Case No. 1:12-cv-3715) awarded summary judgment based on First Amendment
• retaliation and Georgia Whistleblower claim.
• Mary Sims v. Hancock County School District (U.S.D.C. Case No. 5:15-cv-000285 and Superior Ct. of Hancock Co.
• 2015-SU-CV-063) obtained dismissal of HCSD police chief in a false arrest case.