Removal Excessive For One Time Mistake

Not a legal profession case but worthy of note is a decision last week from the New York Appellate Division for the First Judicial Department finding that dismissal of a tenured teacher was a “strikingly disproportionate” sanction for the behavior at issue:

Petitioner taught Spanish at James Madison High School (JMHS) from 2003 until November 20, 2009. On Friday, November 20, 2009, she ate dinner with colleagues and returned to the school later that evening to watch a musical competition in the first floor auditorium, although she was not required to do so. During the performance, petitioner was allegedly observed in an upstairs classroom “partially undressed (Specification 2) and “engaging in what appeared to be sexually inappropriate behavior with a colleague” (Specification 3). These actions allegedly “caused widespread negative publicity, ridicule and notoriety to [JMHS] and the New York City Department of Education (DOE) when [petitioner’s] misconduct was reported in New York area news reports and papers” (Specification 4).

But in mitigation

Petitioner was present at the school as an audience member and not in any official capacity. The incident involved a consenting adult colleague and was not observed by any student. Before the incident, petitioner, a tenured teacher who had made many positive contributions to the school, had an unblemished disciplinary record, and, moreover, was described by her supervisor as one of the best teachers she had ever worked with…

While petitioner’s behavior demonstrated a lapse in judgment, there is no evidence that this incident, was anything but a one-time mistake…

Nor is there is any indication in the record that petitioner’s conduct will affect her ability to teach or that she intended to inflict any damage on any student. While it is unfortunate that the incident garnered so much attention and was exploited in the media, that in and of itself does not warrant the penalty of termination…

The matter was remanded for imposition of a lesser penalty. (Mike Frisch)