The New York City Department of Education may discontinue the employment of a probationary teacher pursuant to Education Law §2573(1)(a) at any time and for any reason absent the teacher's establishing that "the termination was for a constitutionally impermissible purpose, violative of a statute, or done in bad faith”* (Matter of Frasier v Board of Educ. of City School Dist. of City of N.Y., 71 NY2d 763, 765 [1988]; see Education Law §§ 3012-c [1], 3012-d [9]; 8 NYCRR § 30-2.1 [b]; Kahn v New York City Dept. of Educ., 18 NY3d 457 [2012]; Appeal of H.H., 56 Ed Dept Rep, Decision No. 17,033; Appeal of Nicholaou-Guirguis, 32 id. 439, Decision No. 12,879). The Commissioner has defined “bad faith” as “[d]ishonesty of belief, purpose, or motive” (Appeals of Prisinzano, 62 Ed Dept Rep, Decision No. 18,195, citing Black’s Law Dictionary [11th ed. 2019]). Click on the URL below to access this decision posted on the Internet:
http://www.counsel.nysed.gov/Decisions/volume62/d18212
* In contrast see http://www.counsel.nysed.gov/Decisions/volume62/d18211, reporting the decision of the Commissioner of Education in an appeal in which the Commissioner found that the record supported a finding that the educator's probationary appointment was discontinued in bad faith.