Opinion

Alabama State Tenure Commission v. Conecuh County Board of Education

  • 495 So. 2d 1108
  • 35 Educ. L. Rep. 890
  • 1986 Ala. LEXIS 3475
Court
Supreme Court of Alabama
Filed
Mar 7, 1986
Status
Published
Cited by
5 cases
Authority
More cited than 65.4%

The opinion

PER CURIAM.

We granted a writ of certiorari to review the troublesome problem presented where the Tenure Commission found both that the school board conducting the termination hearing was unconstitutionally biased and that the evidence supported the charges. Without giving an opportunity for a hearing before a fair and impartial tribunal, a school board cannot fire a teacher with a property right in his employment. Code 1975, § 16-24-9; Ex parte Greenberg, 395 So.2d 1000 (Ala.1981). The tenure statutes do not provide for any alternative procedure where the board is found to be too biased to conduct a hearing. We expected the board in the instant case to suggest a solution to this dilemma, but it was unable to present a viable alternative that would provide a constitutional hearing.

The board contests the findings of the Court of Civil Appeals regarding bias only on the ground that its members were not personally biased, just familiar with the circumstances. In light of the board members’ strong statements that a hearing would not affect their decision to terminate Gantt’s employment, the board’s argument, that the Court of Civil Appeals’ findings do not support a conclusion that Gantt’s due process rights have been violated, cannot succeed.

The writ of certiorari is hereby quashed.

WRIT QUASHED.

All the Justices concur.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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