A grand jury indicted about three dozen educators Friday in one of the nation's largest cheating scandals to ever hit America's public schools, the Associated Press reported. This after a long series probe by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution .

The indictment named former Superintendent Beverly Hall as well as several high-level administrators, principals and teachers. Hall faces racketeering, false statements and theft charges . She retired just days before the 2011 probe was released. she previously denied all allegations.

A state investigation in 2011 found that educators gave answers to students before tests once they were turned in an effort to boost education their scores, investigators said. 178 educators in 44 Atlanta schools reportedly took part. Teachers who tried to "do the right thing" and report on the malpractice oft-times faced retaliation by colleagues, creating a culture of "fear and intimidation," news reports said.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution had long reported that the scores of the students were statistically improbable, leading to a criminal investigation lasting nearly two years, with allegations dating back as far back as 2005.

Most of the 178 educators named in a special investigators' report had resigned, retired, or did not have their contracts renewed.

"This is a legal matter between the individuals implicated and the Fulton County District Attorney's and we will allow the legal process to take its course," Atlanta Public Schools spokesman Stephen Alford said before the indictment was announced.

"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."

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