The arbitrator found a New York City school teacher guilty of various specifications filed against her pursuant to §3020-a of the Education Law. The penalty imposed: a four months' suspension of employment without pay and benefits.
Supreme Court denied a New York City school teacher’s petition seeking to vacate a post-hearing arbitration award brought pursuant to Education Law §3020-a(5) and CPLR 7511, unanimously affirmed, without costs.
In affirming the lower court’s ruling, the Appellate Division said that the arbitration award had been made in accord with due process and was not arbitrary and capricious, irrational, or lacking in evidentiary support, citing City School District v McGraham, 17 NY3d 917.
In response to the teacher’s challenge to the award on the theory that the New York City Department of Education [DOE] had failed to meet the time requirements set forth in Article 21(C)(3) of the collective bargaining agreement, the Appellate Division said the even if DOE had failed to comply with such time requirements “dismissal of the disciplinary charges against the educator was not required.
Article 21(C)(3), explained the court, “merely provides for the removal of a contested writing from an employee's personnel file or record in the event the procedural requirements of the Article are not followed.” Accordingly, such a defect “does not preclude the filing of formal disciplinary charges pursuant to Education Law §3020-a.”
Citing Matter of Pell v Board of Educ. of Union Free School Dist. No. 1 of Towns of Scarsdale & Mamaroneck, Westchester County, 34 NY2d 222, the Appellate Division said that “The penalty imposed does not shock our sense of fairness,” and dismissed the educator’s appeal.
The decision is posted on the Internet at:
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