DETROIT (AP) -- A federal judge has ordered the Detroit Public Schools to immediately reinstate two teachers who were ousted for protesting school closings. The judge says Stephen Conn and Heather Miller are competent teachers who were punished for exercising their free-speech rights. He told the district to put them back in the classroom.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy was released Thursday, a day after lawyers for the Detroit school system failed to appear in court. Conn and Miller have been on administrative leave since June 2007, about two months after a march to protest the closing of 38 schools. The school board has voted to fire the married couple.

Messages seeking comment were left with the teachers' lawyer and the district on Friday.

(Copyright ©2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)