Mayor Brandon Johnson’s handpicked school board was blocked from modifying Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez’s duties by a Cook County Judge on Tuesday, giving the embattled schools chief a victory as he battles with City Hall over the district’s future.

The power struggle over the leadership of Chicago Public Schools is expected to play out in court Tuesday morning. An attorney for CPS CEO Pedro Martinez on Monday sent a cease-and-desist letter to members of the Chicago School Board,

A Cook County judge ruled in favor of embattled Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, stating that school board members cannot participate in negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union unless invited by Martinez to do so.