Presentation Overview Wha t is E duc a tio n L a w 3020-a Be fo - PDF document

Update on Education Law Sections 3020 ‐ a and 3020 ‐ b Discipline of Tenured Teachers and Administrators Pre se nte d b y: 1 Sha ron N. Be rlin, E sq. Howa rd M. Mille r, E sq. L a mb & Ba rno sky, L L P Bo nd, Sc ho e ne c k & K ing , PL L C . 1 With Spe c ia l T ha nks to Na tha nie l J. Kuzima , E sq., Joe l C. Moore , E sq., Je ffre y D. Hone ywe ll, E sq. for allowing us to use and to update the ir mate r ials. Presentation Overview • Wha t is E duc a tio n L a w § 3020-a • Be fo re the Cha rg e s • Se ttle me nt Stra te g ie s • Cha rg e s • E a rly Stra te g ie s & I ssue s • He a ring • Odds & E nds • E duc a tio n L a w § 3020-b 1

Basics of 3020 ‐ a E duc a tio n L a w Se c tio n pro viding te nure d te a c he rs a nd • a dministra to rs with the rig ht to a he a ring b e fo re b e ing disc ipline d. • Ne e d “just c a use ” • Gro unds fo r disc ipline inc lude : 1. Insub o rdina tio n, immo ra l c ha ra c te r o r c o nduc t unb e c o ming a te a c he r, 2. Ine ffic ie nc y, inc o mpe te nc y, physic a l o r me nta l disa b ility, o r ne g le c t o f duty, o r 3. F a ilure to ma inta in c e rtific a tio n • Be mindful o f F irst Ame ndme nt re ta lia tio n c la ims a nd disc rimina tio n c la ims. Build a Record – Evaluation Tools/Process • T he Counse ling L e tte r Test is whether a stranger (e.g., hearing officer) reading the letter a year or more later will know what happened, why it was wrong and what were the District’s expectations of the employee. • Counse ling Se ssion with E mploye e • APPR E valuations for T e ac he r s and Pr inc ipals • valuations (no n-APPR e mplo ye e s) – Pe r for manc e E sho uld b e c o nduc te d b y dire c t supe rviso rs a nd do c ume nte d. E mplo ye e s ma y ha ve the rig ht to re spo nd pursua nt to the CBA. 2

Build a Record – Investigate Employee Misconduct • Rig ht to Unio n Re pre se nta tio n E mplo ye e must b e info rme d in writing prio r to the o me e ting tha t the inte rvie w ma y re sult in disc ipline Ma y a djo urn me e ting to a c c o mmo da te unio n o re pre se nta tio n Wha t if e mplo ye e re q ue sts a tto rne y re pre se nta tio n? o • Unde r E duc a tio n L a w § 3020-a , the e mplo ye e ha s a rig ht to re ma in sile nt. But, the re a re e xc e ptio ns. Build a Record – Witness Interviews • F ir st: Doc ume nt Complaint/ Obtain and Pr e se r ve any E vide nc e (inc luding ma ke sure c o mpla int is in writing , sc re e n sho t so c ia l me dia po sts, g a the r vide o , re c o rding s, e tc .) • Inte r vie w Witne sse s/ Complainant (E mploye e s) – o Ma ke no pro mise s re : a c tio n to b e ta ke n. o Co nduc t individua l no t g ro up inte rvie ws. o Ma ke no sta te me nts a b o ut a c c use d's c ha ra c te r, jo b pe rfo rma nc e , e tc . o De te rmine wha t c o mpla ina nt wa nts. o Wha t to do with a witne ss who re fuse s to c o o pe ra te . • vie w Stude nts – no t le g a lly re q uire d, b ut yo u ma y wa nt to Inte r o b ta in pa re nta l c o nse nt/ invo lve me nt. • Disc uss with Counse l whe the r to take Witne ss State me nts. • Ke e p in mind that all doc ume nts will be disc ove r able . 3

Build a Record – Interview Subject of Investigation Rig ht to Unio n Re pre se nta tio n • Che c k CBA fo r Additio na l • Pro c e dure s Pursua nt to E duc a tio n L a w § 3020-a , • the e mplo ye e ha s a rig ht to re ma in sile nt (c o mmo nly re fe rre d to b y e mplo ye e s a s (“ Cade t rig hts ”). But, the re a re e xc e ptio ns. Settlement Strategies Co nside ra tio ns: • o I s the se ttle me nt pre -Cha rg e s o r po st-Cha rg e s? o Pe na lty a sse ssme nt fa c to rs: • Se rio usne ss o f o ffe nse • L e ng th o f se rvic e • Any prio r misc o nduc t • I f the e mplo ye e ha s a lre a dy b e e n disc ipline d fo r this sa me type o f misc o nduc t • Ho w simila r misc o nduc t ha s b e e n ha ndle d b y the Distric t in the pa st o I f c o nduc t invo lve s a c rime – sho uld the Distric t wa it fo r c rimina l c ha rg e s o r a Pa rt 83 he a ring ? 4

Drafting Charges • Ne e d to b e spe c ific , b ut do n’ t “o ve rc ha rg e ” o r a lle g e fa c ts tha t yo u c a nno t pro ve . Be wa re o f va g ue c a te g o rie s (i.e ., • inc o mpe te nc e , misc o nduc t, e tc .) tha t do no t ha ve sta tuto ry e le me nts. • Cha rg e s must b e b ro ug ht within thre e ye a rs o f the o c c urre nc e , e xc e pt whe n the c ha rg e is misc o nduc t tha t c o nstitute d a c rime whe n c o mmitte d. De te rmine d b y ma jo rity vo te in e xe c utive • se ssio n, he ld during the e mplo ye e ’ s re g ula r wo rk ye a r. • Co nside r timing – diffic ult to g e t witne sse s o ve r the summe r. Early Strategies & Issues – Hearing Officers Ava ila b ility o f g o o d He a ring Offic e rs • • Pa ying He a ring Offic e rs • Ba c kg ro und/ c o lle a g ue s’ e xpe rie nc e s with c e rta in He a ring Offic e rs 5

Early Strategies & Issues – Pre ‐ hearing Motions Disc o ve ry unde r the ne w rule s – g e tting mo re fro m • the e mplo ye e • Mo tio ns in L imine Co nfide ntiality c o nside ratio ns – ha ndling re q ue sts • fo r pe rso nne l a nd stude nt file s • Co nside r se ttle me nt be for e the he aring 3020 ‐ a Hearing • E mplo ye e ha s the rig ht to : o A re a so na b le o ppo rtunity to de fe nd him/ he rse lf o An o ppo rtunity to te stify o n his/ he r o wn b e ha lf o Re pre se nta tio n b y c o unse l o T o sub po e na a nd c ro ss-e xa mine witne sse s o Disc o ve ry issue s with stude nt witne sse s 6

3020 ‐ a Hearings – Some Things To Know Ne w pro c e dure : • T he he ar ing must be c omple te d and a de c ision r e nde r e d within 155 days (5 months) of the pr e fe r r al of the c har ge s. • Pub lic o r priva te he a ring – up to the e mplo ye e • T e stimo ny is unde r o a th Co mplia nc e with the te c hnic a l rule s o f e vide nc e is • no t re q uire d 3020 ‐ a Hearing – Recent Amendments Suspe nsions without pay – c a nno t inc lude “o the r • b e ne fits a nd g ua ra nte e s” a nd c a nno t la st lo ng e r tha n 120 da ys ings – 10 da ys rule • “Pr obable Cause ” he ar • – se t a t pre -he a ring Disc ove r y by the e mploye r c o nfe re nc e Child witne sse s – tho se le ss tha n 14 ye a rs o f a g e • ma y te stify via a live , two -wa y c lo se d-c irc uit T V • E xpe dite d he ar ings for alle gations of c hild abuse nme nts – g e ne ra lly c a nno t e xte nd the • Adjour he a ring b e yo nd 60 da ys 7

Hearing – Standard Employee Defenses L a c k o f “c a use ” • • Pro c e dura l de fe nse s • L a c k o f “no tic e ” – “I didn’ t kno w I c o uldn’ t do tha t” • L a c k o f “he lp” • Pe rso na lity c o nflic t Se le c tive disc ipline de fe nse – “e ve ryo ne e lse • do e s this a nd it’ s o ka y” • F a ilure to fo llo w APPR o r the de fe nse o f g o o d e va lua tio ns Hearing – Progressive Discipline • T he He a ring Offic e r ma y c o nside r the e xte nt to whic h the Distric t ma de a n e ffo rt to c o rre c t the e mplo ye e ’ s b e ha vio r o Re me dia tio n o Pe e r I nte rve ntio n o E mplo ye e Assista nc e Pla n (E AP) Pe na ltie s inc lude : • o Writte n Re prima nd o F ine ($) o Suspe nsio n Witho ut Pa y o Dismissa l o Re me dia l a c tio n – e .g ., le a ve o f a b se nc e with o r witho ut pa y, c o ntinuing e duc a tio n/ study, c o unse ling , me dic a l tre a tme nt 8

3020 ‐ a Charges – District Success Rate I n a T e a c he r Disc ipline Surve y c o nduc te d b y • NYSSBA in 2016, it wa s re po rte d tha t with re g a rds to 3020-a pro c e e ding s initia te d sinc e Oc to b e r 1, 2014 - o 57.5% (23 c a se s) re sulte d in te r mination/ dismissal ; o 15% (6 c a se s) re sulte d in suspe nsion without pay ; o 20% (8 c a se s) re sulte d in a fine ; o 15% (6 c a se s) re sulte d in a wr imand . itte n r e pr o In only T WO (2) r e por te d c ase s for this time pe r iod we r e all c har ge s/ spe c ific ations dismisse d by the He ar ing Offic e r . (Altho ug h in 15% o f c a se s so me c ha rg e s/ spe c ific a tio ns we re dismisse d.) Post ‐ Decision Timeline Within 15 days o f re c e ipt o f the • He a ring Offic e r’ s de c isio n, the Bo a rd must imple me nt the de c isio n E mplo ye e ha s 10 days a fte r re c e ipt • o f the de c isio n to ma ke a n a pplic a tio n to a ppe a l Co urt’ s re vie w is limite d to : 1. F inding s o f c o rruptio n, fra ud o r misc o nduc t; 2. Pa rtia lity o f the He a ring Offic e r; 3. He a ring Offic e r e xc e e de d his/ he r po we r; 4. F a ilure to issue a fina l a nd de finite a wa rd. 9