Attaining tenure by estoppel or acquisition

Attaining tenure by estoppel or acquisition

Files v Department of Educ. of the City of New York, 2014 NY Slip Op 04713, Appellate Division, First Department

Typically a probationary teacher or administrator will attain tenure by estoppel or acquisition when a school board accepts the continued services of the teacher or administrator, but fails to take the action required by law to either grant or deny tenure prior to the expiration of the teacher’s or administrator’s probationary term.

The Appellate Division sustained a State Supreme Court decision rejecting a probationary teacher’s [Teacher] petition by which she sought a court order annulling her employer’s decision to deny her tenure and to terminate her employment, contending that she had attained tenure by estoppel.

As to Teacher’s claim that she had attained tenure by estoppel, the Appellate Division said the she had failed to demonstrate that she acquired tenure by estoppel or acquisition as the record demonstrated that she did not perform the duties of a teacher beyond her probationary term. The decision notes that Teacher’s employer made it clear to her that she would not be given tenure and, at most, would be offered an extension of her probationary period. Teacher, however, declined the offer to extend her probationary period.

Significantly Teacher was not placed in a classroom nor did she perform any traditional teaching functions immediately prior to the expiration of her probationary period. Rather, said the Appellate Division, the record demonstrates that she performed administrative tasks instead of traditional teaching duties.

The Appellate Division also rejected Teacher’s allegation that her employer had “engaged in bad faith when it terminated her employment” as the record indicated that Teacher had received “two letters of misconduct and an unsatisfactory performance rating.”

One exception to the general rule: In Mendez v Valenti, 101 AD2d 612 the Appellate Division held that as long as the termination of a probationer appointed to a position in the classified service is effected within a reasonable time after the end of his or her maximum period of probation, such as set to coincide with the end of the next payroll period, he or she does not attain tenure by estoppel or acquisition notwithstanding his or her continuation on the payroll. 

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Arbitrator’s imposing a penalty of suspension without pay rather than termination did not violate public policy

Arbitrator’s imposing a penalty of suspension without pay rather than termination did not violate public policy

Roberts v City of New York, 2014 NY Slip Op 04706, Appellate Division, First Department

A twenty-two year employee was involved in a traffic accident while driving a Department vehicle under the influence of alcohol. After a hearing at which both sides presented testimony and documentary evidence, an arbitrator rejected the Department’s preferred penalty of termination, ruling instead that the unpaid suspension, which had lasted nearly two years, imposed on the employee immediately after the accident was a sufficient penalty for an employee who had an otherwise unblemished employment history and who had admitted his addiction to alcohol and had taken full responsibility for his misconduct.

The arbitrator, considering the employee's remorse and completion of his rehabilitation programs, ordered him reinstated as a Department employee to “a position commensurate with his experience,” but ruled that the Department did not have to restore him to a position requiring that he drive department vehicles until it was confident that he had been rehabilitated.

The Department then filed a petition pursuant to Article 75 of the CPLR seeking to vacate the arbitration award, contending that that termination was the only appropriate penalty under the circumstances. Supreme Court dismissed the Department’s petition and the Appellate Division affirmed the lower court’s ruling.

The Appellate Division, considering the record and the findings made by the arbitrator, ruled that the Department had not established that the arbitration award should be vacated, explaining that the arbitrator’s award did not violate public policy and the Department failed to cite to any well-defined constitutional, statutory or common law principle that the award violated.

In the words of the Appellate Division, “as the arbitrator grounded his reasoning in the evidence, including an assessment of the employee as frank and apologetic,” the Department’s contention that termination is the only appropriate penalty “is without merit,” citing United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 v Board of Education, 1 NY3d 72.

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Determining the existence of an employer-employee relationship for the purposes of eligibility of Unemployment Insurance benefits and the payment of required employer contributions

Determining the existence of an employer-employee relationship for the purposes of eligibility of Unemployment Insurance benefits and the payment of required employer contributions

2014 NY Slip Op 04544, Appellate Division, Third Department

The school district [District] challenged two decisions issued by the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board holding that::

1. The District was the employer of a claimant for Unemployment Insurance benefits; and

2. The District was required to pay additional unemployment insurance contributions based on remuneration paid to the claimant and other individuals similarly situated.

The Appellate Division affirmed the Board’s determination, explaining that “Whether there exists an employee-employer relationship is a factual question to be resolved by the Board and we will not disturb its determination when it is supported by substantial evidence in the record.”

The court pointed out that the Board’s determination regarding an employer-employee relationship “rests not on one single factor, but consideration is given to whether control was exercised over the results or the means used to achieve those results, with the latter factor deemed more important.”

In this instance the claimant testified that, among other things, she was provided with a school district computer for use in coordinating the District's program, maintained a file cabinet and mailbox at the school, was given use of the photocopier and postage machine, and had access to school district transportation. Claimant also testified that she performed most of her work at the school, including some tasks that were required to be performed there.

Claimant further testified the District’s Superintendent had disapproved classes, directed claimant to hire a specific teacher against her wishes, had final approval over her canceling classes; and that claimant was required to seek approval before assigning herself to teach a class and that request had been denied.

In addition, both the claimant and the Superintendent testified that, in addition to claimant’s duties supervising the school district’s adult education program, she also provided office help and performed general records management duties for the school district.

The Appellate Division ruled that that notwithstanding evidence that might support a different conclusion, it found that substantial evidence supported the Board's decision. Accordingly the Board’s rulings were affirmed, requiring the school district to make the appropriate additional Unemployment Insurance contributions based on remuneration paid to the claimant and the remuneration it had paid to others similarly situated and, in addition, sustained the Board’s order requiring payments of Unemployment Insurance benefits to the claimant.

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Special duty must be demonstrated in order to recover for an alleged negligent performance of a governmental function

Special duty must be demonstrated in order to recover for an alleged negligent performance of a governmental function

2014 NY Slip Op 04464, Appellate Division, Second Department

While employed by the New York City Department of Education (Department) as a school social worker [Worker] allegedly was injured when two kindergarten students collided with her in a school hallway. Worker commenced an action against the Department and the City of New York, alleging negligent supervision.

The Supreme Court granted Department's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint. The Appellate Division sustained the lower court’s ruling. The court explained that a school district may not be held liable for the negligent performance of its governmental function of supervising children in its charge, “at least in the absence of a special duty to the person injured.” Under the doctrine that a school district acts in loco parentis with respect to its minor students, a school district owes a "special duty" to the students themselves in contrast to owing a special duty to teachers, administrators, and other adults on or off of school premises. Thus a school district may be held liable to a student when it breaches that duty, so long as all other necessary elements of a negligence cause of action are established.

In contrast, this special duty owed to the students themselves does not, as a general matter, carry over to teachers, administrators, and other adults on or off of school premises.

Here, said the Appellate Division, the Department established  prima facie, that it did not owe the Worker a special duty and Worker did not raise a triable issue of fact.

Under the circumstances, it appears that Worker would be able to claim Workers’ Compensation benefits if otherwise applicable with respect to her alleged injury but has no cause of action for any alleged negligent supervision of the students on the part of the Department.
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