178 Educators Involved in One of The Largest Cheating Scandals in U.S. History Indicted on Friday

Three dozen teachers were indicted by a grand jury on Friday in connection to one of the biggest school cheating scandals in United States History, according to the Associated Press

Former Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Beverly Hall, administrators, teachers and principals were all named in the indictment. The former superintendent faces charges which range from racketeering to theft and false statements.

She was forced to retire after investigation began and has claimed innocence in the past. The scandal was first made public after the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the results students were achieving were highly unlikely.

A state investigation began in 2011 and found that almost 178 teachers employees of the district throughout 44 schools in the capital of Georgia, were guilty of various types of cheating. The dishonesty included giving answers to students and even making corrections for the student after the test had already been handed in.

Spokesman for the school district Stephen Alford issued a statement before the indictment was handed down on Friday.

"This is a legal matter between the individuals implicated and the Fulton County District Attorney's office, and we will allow the legal process to take its course," he said. "Our focus is on providing a quality education to all of our students and supporting the 6,000 employees who come to work each day and make sound decisions about educating our students."

After the investigation started, all of the educators mentioned in the indictment left the school district. Some of the teachers retired, some resigned and others did not renew their contracts.

Kelly Henson the commission executive secretary of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. The commission gives prospective teachers their licenses. They are currently reviewing all complaints made against the 178 educators, but can only review cases once the district attorney’s office hands them over.

"It is very routine for us to work with the DA's office and say we're not going to step on each other's toes and we'll work around their schedule," Henson said.

The district has already reinstated 21 teachers and is currently considering the appeal of three others.