Eleven former Atlanta educators were found guilty on Wednesday in what prosecutors described as a decade-long public school cheating scandal involving at least 50 schools, NBC News reported. Out of 35 educators who were indicted in March in 2013, 12 stood trial: 11 were found guilty of racketeering, while a twelfth was acquitted. Another 21 educators took plea deals, NBC affiliate WXIA reported. Prosecutors argued that the educators — including teachers and a school principal — conspired to cheat on standardized tests as far back as 2005 because they were pressured to meet federal and local standards and feared losing their jobs otherwise. The educators said the pressure came from their supervisors, including former Superintendent Beverly Hall, who educators said "created a culture of fear, intimidation and retaliation."
